Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
The College of the Holy Cross' main campus newspaper, The Crusader
Citation preview
Volume XC, Number 8 December 6, 2013 Worcester, Massachusetts
Alumni’s Perspective:
Jeff Godowski, ‘13
Page 11
www.thecrusader.com www.facebook.com/thehccrusader www.twitter.com/thehhcccrusader
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Farewells to The Crusader
Page 8
Inside The CrusaderNews.......................1Opinions.................5Features..................9Eggplant................12Sports.....................13
Worcester’s New Baseball
Team
Page 4
Holy Cross Upsets #7 Boston College 5-4
Courtesy of Hannah SmithFull article on page 9
Long-Awaited SGA Safe Ride Initiative Launched with Success
Brandon GomezChief News-Editor
After a long week of studying in the library, attending weekly meet-ings, or going to practice, some stu-dents make their way off campus to various local Worcester destinations. Thursday evenings continue to be a popular night for students to go into the downtown Worcester area. With this knowledge SGA recognized an opportunity to provide a service that was not being offered - a safe and af-fordable means of returning back to campus. On Thursday, Nov. 21, SGA launched its long awaited Safe Ride Pilot Program. The Pilot Program is in effect until Dec. 5 and will be used to determine further details for the shuttle service. Though the project was on a brief hiatus at the beginning of the semes-ter, it has been on the SGA’s weekly meeting agenda. Safe Ride is an SGA program that has been discussed, researched, and developed over the past six months starting in June 2013. The program provides Holy Cross students of all class years with free transportation back to campus on Thursday nights, dropping stu-dents off at Linden Lane. Safe Ride is funded solely by SGA and the Stu-dent Activities Fee. SGA researched many models since the summer, observing similar pro-grams at various colleges, and found this system to be the strongest.
Earlier proposals involved a part-nership with Worcester’s Yellow Cab Company, which would involve a reduced fare during certain hours. However, Yellow Cab’s insurance was lower than Holy Cross’ standards,
and as a result, would become a li-ability. SGA refused to negotiate stu-dent safety and began to investigate alternative options. After months of hard work, a shuttle rather than dispatch model was proposed and determined to be the most effective, safe and timely. SGA Co-president Natasha Gif-tos ’14, emphasized this point shar-
-gram was more about practicality and abiding to college standards. All opposition was logistical rather than to the existence of the program as a whole.”
The Pilot Program served as a trial run for SGA, which allows them to evaluate student response and move forward. Conor Sullivan ’14, shared “This may be one of the best programs I have seen established in my time at Holy Cross.” The feeling was clearly
-tles at each designated hour. Though
the chanting of Sweet Caroline and
on the drive back to campus, there was never a moment when the safety of any students was compromised. SGA stressed this shuttle is not a catering service to students off cam-pus on weekends and that a mutual respect is to be maintained. Drivers from AA Transportation will drive the provided shuttles seat-
up from Harding St. behind Wings Over Worcester outside Kelley Square. Pick up times are at 12:30 a.m., 1:15 a.m., 1:45 a.m., and 2:15 a.m. One bus will be provided for the two earlier times and two buses will be available for the more popular, later times. These times have been struc-tured by SGA to provide convenient
campus. The buses are working on a sched-ule and leave promptly at the times listed. Giftos added, “We control the routes. We can change the service and locations as we assess student need, but the overall goal is to get something set in stone.” As another added safety precau-tion, SGA requires that students present their Holy Cross IDs when getting on the shuttle. This has been implemented in the interest of stu-dent and campus security. SGA voiced their acknowledg-
Safe Ride picks up Holy Cross students from outside of Kelley Square back to campus’ Linden Lane.
See SAFE RIDE, page 3
Sara Bovat, Emily Vyse Co-Editors-in-ChiefBrandon Gomez, Jess Bailot, Kevin Deehan, Elizabeth O’Brien News EditorsDavid Perretta, Eric Butts, Victoria Fritz, Lauren McDonough Opinion EditorsAlannah Heffernan, Katie DeGennaro, Ali Skamangas Features EditorsAndrew Fanikos, Elizabeth Fullerton, Tyler Scionti Sports EditorsZachary Lanning Eggplant Editor Bobby Keilig, Jonah Choe, Kyle Hughes Web EditorColleen Paddock Photography EditorRachel Franchella, Sydney Latour, Julia Levesque Publicity ManagerAndrew Marzo, Lucas Keefer Business ManagersJames Cerra Advertising ManagerProfessor Steve Vineberg Faculty AdvisorDean Jacqueline Peterson Faculty Advisor
2 !e Crusader NEWS December 6, 2013
The Crusader student newspaper College of the Holy Cross Published weekly since 1925
Please address correspondence to: The Crusader P.O Box 32A College of the Holy Cross 1 College Street Worcester, MA 01610-2395
The Crusaderpublication of the College of the Holy Cross.
The Crusader is distributed free of charge to all students, faculty, staff, and employees of the institution.
The Crusader welcomes letters and op-eds from its readers. Please include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. No submissions will be printed anonymously. All submissions may be edited for content, and must be received by the Sunday prior to publication. The Crusader reserves the right not to pub-lish any letter or content deemed objectionable or which does not meet the editorial standards of the newspaper. Letters may be mailed, e-mailed, or brought to The Cru-
The opinions expressed within the newspaper are not necessarily those of the College of the Holy Cross. This newspaper is printed by Community Newspaper Com-pany. Reproduction of any part of this paper is by per-mission of The Crusader only.
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.thehccrusader.com
To advertise in The Crusader: Email: [email protected] Phone: (508) 293-1283
SGA UpdateCommunication. Research. Support. Practicality.
A New Student Voice
Thank you to all RSO’s who participated in the Christmas Tree Decorating Contest on Monday!
The SGA would also like to thank the Holy Cross community for making this such a historically successful semester! Two key promises made by the Co-Presidents, the creation of a Student Union and the implementation of a Safe Ride program have
been successfully implemented. We will continue to work hard as we develop new initiatives and proposals to ensure the New
Student Voice is heard!
Student Government Association CornerProviding You With Your Weekly SGA Updates
Public Safety Blotter
Wednesday, November 13Hogan Campus Center
-
Hogan Lot: Shuttle driver backed into a student’s vehicle.
Friday, November 15Linden Lane: Taxi driver reported that a student ran from a Yellow Cab to avoid having to pay the fare. Mulledy Hall: Employee from grounds contacted
around the campus. Hanselman Hall: RA called to report an intoxicated
ambulance transport the student to the hospital.
Saturday, November 16Linden LaneSafety cruisers.Williams Hall: HRA reported that the elevator was
inside.
Sunday, November 17Carlin Gate: HRA called to report students running
students in the area. Hanselman Hall: Student complained about loud
to quiet down. Fenwick Hall: A professor called about writing on
Classes are over for this semester! Be sure to stop by the SGA Coffee House on Friday, December 6th from 5pm-7pm. Enjoy some free InHouse Coffee with us in the Dinand Browsing Room while your fellow Crusaders share their artistic
creativity!
The SGA Co-Presidents have signed the Amethyst Initiative, a document which promotes a nation-wide dialogue on the legal drinking age. The Amethyst Initia-tive is not meant to be a proposal in favor of or against the current 21 year old drinking age, the main point of the pledge is that there must be a discussion on
Student Union and the SGA Senate. We look forward to continuing the debate on the social scene here at Holy Cross.
Who Do You Bench For?Students show their support and raise money for breast cancer awareness Sara Bovat and Elizabeth O’BrienCo-Editor-in-Chief and Co-News Editor
The sixth annual Benching for Breast Cancer Fundraiser will take place Fri-day, December 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the Hart Center’s Varsity Weight Room at the College of the Holy Cross. Registration be-gins at 5 p.m. on the day of the event, and online pre-registration is encouraged. The participation fee is $10 per person, which includes a donation and a free long-sleeved t-shirt. Working in teams of four, students solicit donation pledges based on how much weight they think they can lift. The teams chal-lenge each other in lifting, and scores are mathematically calculated and compared based on participant’s weight. While wear-ing a costume, they compete against other teams lifting weights for prizes in three cat-egories: best team costume, most enthusi-astic team, most money raised, and most
weight lifted for males and females. Last year, approximately 545 students participated in the event and raised more than $2,500. Michelle McGahan, ’15, Co-Chair of HC for a Cure and organizer of the event, said this year the main goal is
to raise awareness about breast cancer and focus the event on the students’ reasons for participating. “We’ve invited survivors to the event,” she said. This year the event organizers are creating a wall titled, “Who do you bench for?” “We hope that students write names, bring
pictures to post, or bring anything they have that reminds them of why they par-ticipate in this event,” McGahan explained. McGahan’s favorite part of the event is the candlelight ceremony in the middle of the benching competition. For about 10 min-
utes everyone is reminded of why this great event is happening. It is important to remember the purpose of bringing together sur-vivors and supporters. McGahan is benching for her mother, who lost her battle with breast can-cer 10 years ago. “She was an amazing woman with
a contagious positive atti-
tude,” shared McGahan. “For almost my entire life, my family and I have participat-ed in the Making Strides walk in Boston, and when I came to Holy Cross, I decided
Courtesy of Holy Cross WebsiteStudents participating in last year’s Benching for Breast Cancer
See BENCHING, page 4
! e Crusader NEWS December 6, 2013 3
Make Summer Count
USC Marshall School of Business intensive 4-week Summer Business Program gives non-business majors an edge in today’s competitive job market.
Taught by faculty from the internationally ranked USC Marshall School of Business
Learn business principles in 5 key areas: leadership & communication, strategy & organization, finance & managerial accounting, marketing, and operations
Weekly site visits to successful companies and panels with prominent speakers
(213) [email protected]/summer
APPLY NOW!SESSION DATES July 7 - August 2
USC Marshall Executive Education;; College of the Holy Cross;; 5x8”;; 12/6
College of the Holy Cross Ad.indd 1 11/21/2013 2:04:29 PM
Dancing With the Stars For a Cause
Jess BailotCo-News Editor
The Holy Cross Ballroom Dance Team provided students with a great way to take a break from the
ting on its annual Dancing With the Stars competi-tion on December 2nd. The event took place in the Hogan Ballroom. Members of the Holy Cross Com-munity gathered into the ballroom to support and cheer on the dancers and contestants. The hosts of the evening were Megan Whitacre, ‘14 and Dan Bullock, ‘14, co-captains of the Ballroom Dance Team. They announced that all of the dona-tions from attendees, as well as the proceeds from
choice. Each team pre-selected a charity or orga-nization to donate money to. Judges Gary Jacobik, Patricia Connolly, and Kallen Bakas selected the top three couples, and then the winner was determined by whomever the audience cheered loudest for. The event, broken up into three sections, opened
Christian Brooks to swing and jive, dubbing the term swive. The judges agreed that Megan gave Christian
entertaining. The charity they were dancing for was the Shepherd Center. The second pair’s “fancy footwork” blew the judges away. Star Tim Dunn performed a fun Cha Cha rou-tine with team member Taylor Silva. The charity this pair danced for was Charlie’s Angels. Seniors Andrew Retallick and partner Abby Hynes-Houston stunned both the judges and the crowd with their Foxtrot mash-up. “That is one of the best rou-tines I have ever seen in my years at Holy Cross,” commented one judge. The charity of their choice was The Wounded Warrior Project. Team Member Nick Athanasidy choreographed a swing routine to perform with his star, Sandra Van Den Heuvel. The judges concurred how wonderfully they kept the rhythm, as well as adding in a few lifts. The two danced for the Dismas Family Farm.
on a sultry note. Assistant Director of Residence Life and Housing Chuck Stanley rangoed, a mixture of rumba and tango, with Sophia Jin. The pair brought sexual tension to the room. “Be careful with the girl with the bat,” stated one of the judges. The couple’s charity to donate to was UNICEF’s Emergency Re-sponse to Philippines’ Typhoon Haiyan. After a brief intermission, member Stephanie Had-dad and partner Connor Dilworth brought the audi-ence into the second half on an energetic and upbeat vibe. The judges agreed that their cha-cha superbly played with the lyrics of their music. Stephanie and Connor danced for The American Autoimmune Dis-eases Association. Following this upbeat cha-cha was a lively jive. Erin
Hillis choreographed a 50s styled dance for Byron Udegbe. The judges were especially pleased with their choice of traditional attire. They jived for the Elizabeth Glasier Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Team member Allie Gitto and star Gary Ac-quah followed suit wowing the entire ballroom. They executed a perfect suicide drop move, noticed by both the judges and audi-ence. “That dance is the
plauded one judge. The two supported the Red Cross for the Typhoon in the Philippines. Last, but certainly not least, Rob Chevalier and partner Lab Organizer KT Kennedy performed their swing for the Spe-cial Olympics Massachu-setts, West Section Greater
strong performance and Christmas-inspired theme
tion on a high note. The judges went in for delib-eration afterwards. Throughout the breaks, senior partners of the Ball-room Dance Team per-formed showcases. Megan Whitacre and Andrew Re-tallick danced to a Vien-nese Waltz and a Swing. Allie Gitto and Dan Bull-ock choreographed a Tan-
and donations were ac-cepted during the breaks, especially while audience members gathered for free hot chocolate. Finally, the judges brought back their three top choices. The audience cheered and cheered for their favor-ites. At the end of the night, Alli Gitto and Gary Ac-quah danced their way to third place. Stephanie Had-
tell from the moment they started to dance, Andrew Retallick and Abby Hynes-Houston. The proceeds from the entire event went to the couple’s charity, The Wounded Warriors.
Courtesy of Jess BailotThe winning team, Andrew Retallick and Abby Hynes-Houston, dance the fox-trot mashup.
ment of a need for this program on campus stating, “We’re recognize students go out on Thursday nights and are thus providing them with a safe mode of transportation back to Holy Cross.” SGA realize that without safe transportations, stu-dents may resort to dangerous al-ternatives includ-ing walking back to campus late at night or even drunk driving. Safe Ride has been one of SGA’s many pro-g r a m s / e ve n t s this semester to engage the stu-dents in open discussion on recreational campus activities. On
moderated by Brett Gannon ’16, SGA Director of Communica-tions, discussing the social scene of the Holy Cross campus. The
that no faculty members were pres-ent, allowing students to voice their opinions freely amongst peers and discuss the need for programs like Safe Ride. SGA co-presidents Natasha Gif-tos ‘14 and Neema Hakim ‘14, along with several other members of SGA and administrative advisors, cel-ebrated the launching of the pilot
program. SGA extends their appreciation to Dean Peterson, Dean Sullivan, Chief Hart, Jerry Maday, Director of Transportation, and Dan Kag-
These are just some of the key play-ers in administration whose dedica-
tion and hard work has as-sisted and guided the program to complet ion. Giftos stated, “We need to thank our s u p p o r t e r s because with-out them this could not have hap-pened.”
“Natasha and Neema have put so much hard work into this program week after week,” shared Gannon. He continued stating, “It is great to
a success and the program overall exhibits the determination and hard work of the SGA in their ability to identify the student body needs and provide.
From SAFE RIDE, page 1
“We’re recognize stu-dents go out on Thurs-day nights and are thus providing them with a
safe mode of transportation back to
Holy Cross.”-Natasha Giftos, SGA Co-President
to get more involved in the cause. That’s when I found HC for a Cure. When they asked me to help organize and run the event, I was more than happy to help.” McGahan and Andrew McAward, ’15, another student organizer and a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Com-mittee (SAAC), say the goal is for
own experiences with breast can-cer to spread awareness of the ne-
“I have had relatives that have bat-tled with cancer,” says McAward. “Partaking in events, such as Benching for Breast Cancer and
my time here at Holy Cross.” Some students may be hesitant about participating in Benching for Breast Cancer because they feel intimidated about lifting. However, the event emphasizes coming together to support a great cause, not simply showing one’s physical strength. All stu-dents of any athletic ability are strongly encouraged to sign up. The enthusiasm and spirit during Benching for Breast Cancer make this event so welcoming to the en-tire Holy Cross community. “The
event is one of very few events on campus that brings so many stu-dents together for the same cause in such a short period of time,” said McGahan. “The event only lasts about an hour and 15 min-utes. There is so much going on around you with at least 15 bench-es going at the same time and free food to have conversations with other Holy Cross students.” The atmosphere at the event is incred-ible each year. All proceeds from the event
Worcester-based breast cancer alliance of dedicated individuals
those touched by breast cancer.A varsity men’s ice hockey game against Air Force Academy will follow the event at 7 p.m. in the Hart Center’s ice rink. Benching for Breast Cancer is sponsored by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and HC for a Cure. SAAC is a group of student leaders made up of representatives from each varsity team on campus. They work with the NCAA and provide an ath-lete’s perspective on the recruit-ment process, eligibility, and other regulations that affect athletes.
From BENCHING, page 2
4 !e Crusader NEWS December 6, 2013
THAT’S NEWS TO MENational and International News Stories
FridayBlack Friday Sales are at it Again
The annual Black Friday Holiday came and went with a bit of chaos. Sales began even earlier this year with stores opening their doors by 8 pm on Thanksgiving evening. Even the esteemed Macy’s broke a 155-year long tradition and opened its doors on Thanksgiving. Over 15,000 people, up from the previous years 11,000 waited eagerly for the doors to open and the shopping to begin. There were several instances of violence across the country including the following:
on Thanksgiving Day as he was attempting to take his newly bought television home
brawl in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Rialto, Calif., because shoppers allegedly were cutting the line. Two were taken into custody, according to police.
-
ginia, a man was slashed to the bone with a knife after threatening another man with a gun. The altercation was over a parking spotEvery year the now notorious holiday
dismay of many people. Workers and shop-
reaching a point of being intolerable and un-enjoyable.However, with Thanksgiving being later in the month, many retailers and shoppers rec-ognize the shopping season before Christ-mas is reduced by nearly six days this year. SundayActor Paul Walker dies at Age 40Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker passed away this weekend. The 40-year-old star was killed in a single-car crash in California on Saturday evening. Walker was the passenger in his friends 2005 Porsche Carrera GT after leaving a charity event.The Porsche crashed into a light pole and
Investigation says that speed was certainly a factor.
another addition to the Fast and Furious franchise. His death is mourned by co-star Vin Diesel and many other close friends and family.Train Derails in the BronxEarly Sunday morning, a commuter train derailed as it hurtled over a sharp curve in the Bronx. A total of four people were killed and dozens were injured. The con-ductor on the train was a respected veteran, serving Metro-North with almost 20-years experience. The train line continued to be closed throughout the weekend and in to the ear-lier parts of this past week as authorities in-vestigate the cause of the derailment. Many passengers felt the train was moving at a very high speed for the area. Gov. Cuomo made a statement believing the crash was
“about the speed” of the train.In previous journeys down this train line,
negotiating the sharp change in direction. It was said that a train had derailed in the same location earlier this year.The situation is still under investigation and will be sorted as soon as details are established.
MondayWill Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy Plays Anchorman in Real LifeWill Ferrell joined the KX News team in Bismarck North Dakota, acting as Ron Burgundy from the comedy movie “An-chorman”.Amongst Ferrell’s anecdotes and side comments, the news was reported as usual by both he and Amber Schatz, a news team regular.Ferrell’s movie “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” is scheduled to hit the big screen on Dec. 18.
City’s New Baseball Team Named “Worcester Bravehearts”
Kevin Deehan Co-News Editor
On December 2, team owner John W.S. Creedon Jr. announced that Fitton Field’s new Future’s League baseball team will be called the Worcester Brave-hearts. This name was chosen from over a thousand entries and makes the team one step closer to opening day in June. This new name is very meaningful to Worcester. The “brave” compo-nent is meant to honor Worcester’s brave men and women in uniform, both local and abroad. Also, the “brave” aspect in particular is a trib-
including John Davies who died back in 2011 as well as Paul Broth-
erton, Timothy Jackson, Jeremiah Lucey, Jay Lyons, Joseph McGuirk,
-
1999. The “heart” refers to the city’s nickname, “Heart of the Common-wealth,” which refers to the city’s central location in the state. Kevin Hunt of Charlton, Mass.
submitted the name “Worcester Bravehearts” to the team’s nam-ing contest where it was selected
-ness and connection to the city
of Worcester—the -
cluded: “Worces-ter Canal Diggers,” “Worcester Freight Trains,” “Worcester Mighty Caseys,” and “Worcester True Blues.” After releas-
had the opportu-nity to vote, and the Bravehearts received the most. Fans will have the opportunity to see this team play on June 5, 2014 when the Bravehearts take
time at Holy Cross’ own Fitton Field.
Courtesy of Cherylann PashaDiaz spokeas part of the Working Writers Series
on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library.
Purple Key Society Holds Presented Tree Lighting at O’Kane Porch for HC Community
Pulitzer Prize Award Winner Junot Diaz Held
Reading at HC
Courtesy of Hannah Smith
Opinions !e Crusader OPINIONS December 6, 2013 5
The Pulse of Events“The Pulse of Events:” A page dedicated to the debates of our times. This week’s topic: New Filibuster Rules.”
David PerrettaChief Opinions Editor
In the political world, one thing is certain: -
cans are in charge, the Democratic tide ap-pears inevitable, and vice versa. Sure, cer-tain Senators and Congressmen are able to survive the rising tide if they come for a
-ren will probably never have to worry about reelection in Massachusetts, and Rand Paul seems to own Kentucky), but the majority party in D.C. is almost always up for grabs. For this reason, I cannot understand why Senator Harry Reid (D – NV), has decided
for court appointees. He has changed the rules so that 51 votes – not the supermajor-
-buster for circuit court appointments. The short-term politics are obvious; the Demo-crats want to stuff that court with ideo-logically sympathetic judges while they have the opportunity, Republicans be damned. However, the long-term politics of this ma-neuver betray Reid’s hubris, idiocy, or both. Let’s start with the general polling data for the upcoming midterm election. The latest realclearpolitics.com average (this time, de-rived from CNN, Rasmussen, Fox, and the all-important Quinnipiac) has Republicans win-
of this number cannot be underestimated, as this is a generic poll that has tradition-ally given Democrats a massive edge, often with a >+5.0 point spread. The country, it seems, is getting ready to lean right again. Furthermore, this is a midterm election (traditionally the opposition gains seats in
midterms), President Barack Obama is not on the ballot (and thus, his star power is gen-erally negated when it comes to the Senate/Congressional elections), and the Republi-cans are primed to hold the House and re-capture the Senate, as almost every Demo-crat up for reelection hails from a State that voted for Mitt Romney in 2012. This, at the very least, should make Democrats nervous. The problem that Democrats will be fac-ing if/when Republicans gain control of Congress is that they have just given Mi-nority Leader Mitch McConnell (R – KY) carte blanche to alter any and all procedural rules so as to negate any effect that the (cur-rently hypothetical, but probable) Demo-cratic minority will have. The precedent that Harry Reid has set is massive – especially considering that, historically, both parties
-ter rules out of fear of eventual reprisal. Now, it would appear that the gloves are off.
-buster is an important tradition in the Sen-ate, as it prevents tyranny of the majority. It is an important way for those opposed to legislation to block it. The Senate, de-signed as a deliberative body, was intention-ally constructed to make passing legisla-
from being a simple rubber stamp. Has the procedure been overused in the past? Yes, by both sides (Republicans learned how to upset the President’s picks when the
-
Harry Reid’s answer of effectively neuter-ing it opens the door for further change that will, again, result in tyranny of the majority.
Short Term Thinking
Garrett BychStaff Writer
For those not completely comfortable
cryptically known as “talking out a bill.” In other words, members of Congress have the ability to delay a vote on a piece of legisla-tion by speaking on the record in the Sen-ate. However, these speeches do not have to be related to the subject at hand. In other words, if a given Senator wished to post-pone a vote on healthcare, he or she could
-nanas for hours to delay such a vote. The
there are 100 Senators, that means 60 of them must agree to vote, one way or an-
In recent weeks and months, Senate Democrats have grown considerably frus-trated with Republicans for delaying votes on all types of potential legislation. These Senators grew so frustrated, in fact, that they invoked a “nuclear option” to change
-mained unchanged since 1975. Instead of
Senate this past week changed the block-
Senate. This rule changed was passed by a very small margin, with every single Senate Republican voting against the rule change. The Senate Republicans, who are currently the minority party, vehemently denounced this rule change in the name of democracy, and argued that the protection for the minor-ity is now gone. Many also forecasted regret from those across the aisle when the ma-
themselves the minority party in the Senate.
-tainly have a point regarding a shot against democracy with this new rule, kidnapping the ability for every Senator to vote on a piece of legislation aimed at improving our nation one way or the other certainly is not what I would call democracy either. As frustrated as many people are with the current political climate, Congress is there
-ing Americans across our great nation and
-possible when members of Congress hi-jack the ability for other members to do their job and try to help their constituents.
has been manipulated. It has been used to blackmail members of Congress to imple-menting additional amendments into their
expedite any legislative procedures. There-fore, I completely understand where the Senate Democrats, Harry Reid in particu-lar, are coming from with this rule change. However, we must keep in mind the con-sequences. If the Republicans take over Senate majority in 2014 or 2016 (2016 be-ing far more likely), they will not quickly forget this rule change. Democrats will have to live with their decision, and better hope that it is truly in the best interest of democracy, because if it is not, hardworking
let down by those who represent them.
The New Filibuster Rule: A Shot Against Democracy, or for Common
Sense?
Death To the Filibuster: Down With the Last Frontier of Humor in Congress
Victoria FritzOpinions Co-editor
Although I’m certain that this was already explained in the articles above mine (which I actually am certain about, having read them just now), as I learned in AP Government in
a speech given by a random person of Con-gress that decides they hate a bill so much they would rather stand and talk for an ob-scene amount of time than allow it to go to
our nation’s history lasted for 24 hours and 18 minutes, something we can thank Sena-tor Strom Thurmond for, even though he
-bers of Congress who really want whatever bill is at hand to go to a vote, I personally think they’re hilarious. Think about it: some Congressman (or Congresswoman) gets up and talks for hours upon hours about abso-
can have literally nothing to do with politics at all, and they still take up a huge amount of
-
So essentially, instead of voting on a health-care bill or a bill about taxes, a member of Congress can get up and talk about them-selves, or recite some historical documents, even though it would be alot funnier to hear
can be shot down at any time with just a 60% vote, but since the margins in congress usually aren’t large enough to achieve this not many
recent months, Democrats have grown so frustrated with Republicans for exercising
“nuclear option” to reduce the overthrow percentage to a measly 51%. still technically majority but by a much smaller margin, one that the Repblicans can no longer fend off. (P.S., thanks Garrett for using that terminol-ogy, because I have no idea what it means and will probably just Google it later.)
deprive the members of Congress who don’t actually care that much about the bill at hand the chance to hear another of their peers sound like a fool? I would love to watch a Senator get up and talk for hours about noth-ing at all. This could be the outlet for a love of comedy, or a perticular book or TV show,
or maybe even a type of ice cream. I think it makes C-SPAN that much more interesting; seriously, that channel is dull with a capital D, not sure how that chick in Legally Blond could stand to watch it so much. But then the reasonable side of this act stands out at me as well. On a serious note, let’s look back at the Civil Rights Act men-
-bustered this bill for a combined total of 57 days. That’s almost two whole months that people spent talking so that a bill couldn’t go to a vote, a bill we now view as an essential part of our history in moving forward. Now,
Civil Rights Act was, but that doesn’t make the concept of talking out a bill any less ri-
friends probably thought he was crazy to get up and try to out-talk a vote. In addition, those were almost two months of legislation action wasted, two months which were bankrolled on taxpayer dollars. There’s alot of things our money goes toward that we probably don’t even know about, but I personally like to think we elect and pay our representatives to represent, not to talk
for almost a day straight about nothing while postponing the inevitable (in most cases). There was once a time in our history when
when representatives used it to rally their peers against a bill they opposed; but the way
in my mouth, like it’s something held above the heads of the Democrats.
provide some entertainment and humor to a dry and serious place, I also can see the ne-cessity in the Dem’s actions. In truth, I also know very little about this topic but loved learning in high school about a bunch of old white guys in our political history that wanted to get up and talk for a really long time about nothing in particular. It reminded me that the representatives of our country cared about what they did, and didn’t just sit in silence day in and day out. I felt like it brought a little life to an otherwise (seemingly, at the time) lifeless process. Then again, how much will it really be missed?
6 !e Crusader OPINIONS December 6, 2013
David PerrettaChief Opinions Editor
I want to start this article by thank-
have consistently read my articles for the past few years, or this is the
picked up, thank you for spending a few minutes with my thoughts. A brief background to frame what I am about to say: I joined The Cru-sader during my sophomore year. I was a news writer, but was asked to join the opinions section as an editor. I knew absolutely nothing about writing opinions, but was ex-cited to throw myself into the new, unchartered territory. I spent the
D.C., working for Meet the Press, and when I returned, I took up the mantle of Chief Opinions Editor. Throughout my career here, I have edited and read countless “goodbye” letters from departing editors, and I have noticed that they generally fall into two camps: 1) Hi, I’m _____ and this is what I have done over the past few years, and 2) Hi, I’m _____ and this is how I
really feel about Holy Cross. I plan on trying to stay away from that trend; I will just be writing a few of my general, underlying thoughts and beliefs presented as bits of advice. I hope you enjoy them. If you don’t, well, like, this is the opinions section for a reason, man. 1) Approach whatever you do
No matter what you are doing, know that you are a student, and that you are here to learn from others. It is extremely important that you keep this in mind, as a degree of respect for the subject at hand, mixed with intellectual curiosity, will allow you to learn as much as possible. A closed, arro-gant mind, however, will be set in its ways. That said; it is important
How does that work? Simple: Si-multaneously approach everything that you do with the knowledge that you are more than capable of handling it. Too often, I have seen people reject themselves before they have even tried. If you’re both humbled by what you do not know
there is absolutely no need for that. 2) Always own up to your own actions. This one sounds simple, but its importance cannot be un-derstated. If you messed up, then you messed up. In reality, unless it is on something humongous, people will not be angry if you botch something – so long as you immediately let them know about it. Life happens, and we all under-stand that. However, if you try and pin the blame on somebody else, usually the attempt is fairly trans-parent and it will, generally speak-ing, harbor negative consequenc-
world to think that we are perfect, so we concoct images that mask
with our actual identity, and this is a tragedy. Be out there, be brave, and be proud of your mistakes. 3) Don’t worry about the critics. I cannot stress this one enough; writ-ing for this section has taught me that no matter what you say or do, somebody will be offended. It is literally impossible to please every-body all the time, so don’t even try
your position in the most thought-ful way that you know how to, and
always argue what you believe in for the reasons that you believe – do not do what you think others want). So long as you are as respect-ful as possible, you will be okay. 4) Leave no stone unturned. Okay, so that may be a cliché way of saying it, but it is true nonethe-less. Never let anything go un-said, any road remain untraveled, and any book stay unread, or else you will be frazzled. I could not resist the rhyme there. Anyways, the point is true; live life intense-ly, and seize every opportunity that comes your way. If you have something to say, then say it. If you have never gone somewhere or done something (within rea-son, of course), then go there or do that. And – I cannot stress this enough – once you leave this place, you will not be able to read and learn as much as you can whilst on this hill. Take advantage of that. 5) Laugh at yourself. Seriously. The world is much easier and much more fun to face when you have
a sense of humor about yourself. You should take your abilities, your goals, and your desires seriously, of course, but if you can approach ev-erything you do with a certain levi-ty (primarily centered around your-self), everything will be that much better and come that much easier. I had planned to write a few para-graphs about the following topics: 6) The dangers of excessive politi-cal correctness; 7) Engaging with those you disagree with; 8) Loy-alty; 9) Never apologizing for suc-cess; 10) The importance of writ-ing; 11) The importance of being genuine; and 12) The importance of learning about Ancient Rome (seriously – that one is key). How-ever, I am quickly running out of room. Thanks for reading, and I sincerely hope that you have en-joyed the direction this section has taken with my oversight over the past year. (Nota bene: Though I am stepping down as chief of this section, I plan on contribut-ing when I can in the spring. If you have an opinion about any-
Peace, I’m Out
Sarah FreeStaff Writer
easy way out is almost always available to us. It is easy to attenuate our deepest thoughts and fears and convey the end result to the outside world; though we may not be able to fool ourselves about what it is that makes us most essentially human, it is far too easy to
-libility to our fellow man, for fear that this fallibility will be viewed as illegitimate, un-
-
is amazing about these weaknesses however, is that they are exactly what make us resil-ient. Some of the most strengthening bonds between humans are formed in the mo-ments that whatever it is that makes us feel most alone, is shared with another person.
to be most isolating is rather what brings us together with others—our darkest fears are those which shed the most light on how to no longer be afraid. The phenomena of how weakness turns
and nearly impossible to explain. Many live their lives traversing moment to moment, their personal battles sheltered by a reluc-tant, impenetrable exterior. It is often only through chance, and in that right hands, that we become undeniably vulnerable. Though it seems counterintuitive, it is impossible to be vulnerable by ourselves, when we feel saf-est—in order to put ourselves at risk, it is necessary to invite other people in to prove us wrong. Other people are the reason hu-man weakness can be changed. Or rather, human weakness is the reason that people can be changed by other people.
This vulnerability is frightening in every sense of the word; it encompasses a need and a want to be validated and accepted, yet simultaneously renders us helpless to defend what we have convinced ourselves so desper-ately needs defense. Far too often, we have persuaded ourselves to believe that we need walls to protect what makes us human, hid-ing our weaknesses in an attempt to appear
-nesses inaccessible and assure ourselves that they are untouchable; however, it is by mak-ing them untouchable that we deny ourselves any opportunity to confront and overcome them. By locking up our fears, hiding our doubts, and drawing the curtain over our weaknesses, we do nothing but allow to them to collect dust in the corners of our souls that we so desperately try to make imperma-nent, often buying just enough time for us to forget the combination to these locks, and
not vanquished when this happens; rather, weakness becomes a part of who we are that
will eventually wear on the soul and the life that it procures. However, our prospects change entirely when we share humanity with another hu-
we forgot existed, our hiding places exposed, and our secrets no longer kept under lock and key, vulnerability—and the people invited to partake in it—do their job. All humans are
are broken. If so, there is reason behind the idea that a whole is composed of parts. It becomes no wonder that people need peo-ple—for maybe the broken are drawn to the broken, clinging to the hope that someone will not see them as such, but rather as they
and so beautifully human.
Free Thinking:On Vulnerability
Jacob Bass
Some of America’s favorite retailers de-cided there would be no better way to start the Christmas season than by pushing the annual Black Friday door busters up to the last Thursday of November, a day formerly known to most Americans as ‘Thanksgiving’. I’m usually not a sucker for pure, unadulter-ated capitalism, but nothing brings me more joy than knowing I can spend my Thanksgiv-ing taking a massive dump on someone else’s. Moving the day up has something for ev-eryone: conservatives will be pleased that
-dent Thanksgiving meal on the job. They also get to drag out the menacing war on
likewise take comfort knowing that if a
poor migrant worker is stabbed trying to
coverage from Obamacare. It’s a win/win. Now, some of you who participated in Black Thursday probably second guessed yourself upon seeing a handful of protests outside your local Kmart. Hopefully you felt more secure when you realized that you are far better off than the women with sunken eyes who greets you at the door. If you didn’t, you were shopping on Thanksgiving rather than spending it with your family - it’s not surpris-ing that empathy is a foreign concept to you. I think we could bolster this fond spirit of ultra-consumerism. This year, let’s al-low people to make returns starting at nine o’clock on Christmas morning. After all, we live in an unfair world, we may as well let the
It’s what Jesus would want for his birthday.
Turkey Dump
Anthony Russo & Payton ShubrickStaff Writers
Directors of Student Athletics two years ago, our commitment was, and remains to-day, providing support for varsity athletes on campus and bolstering student participa-tion and school spirit. In doing so, we have worked to create initiatives that meet these goals through various promotions, giveaways,
-
Hart Center was feared by opponents due to its frenzied atmosphere of support for our teams. As readers might remember from a Crusader article written just a few weeks ago, in 2008 the Hart Center was ranked by USA Today as one of “10 great places to get pumped for NCAA action.” John Feinstein, a sports commentator, described the gym:
-
dent section is called The Hart Attack, which tells you all you need to know.” In building off of last year’s “Hart Hysteria” theme, this year we decided to “bring back the Hart Attack,” which is a deeply rooted tradition. Shirts very similar to the ones distributed this year were worn by the student section more than a decade ago. By using the name the “Hart Attack”, the intent was never to be hu-morous or offensive, it was merely to invoke memories of the glory days we have all heard so much about. If the shirt was taken in any other way, we sincerely apologize, as our goal was simply to recreate a vibrant atmosphere at sporting events that has been largely ab-
-main committed to creating this environment of support and want to thank everyone who has helped make this a great year for varsity athletics so far, and hope to further increase levels of support as we seek to once again make “Sader Nation” a force to be reckoned with, whether at Fitton Field, the Hart Cen-ter, or in the hearts and minds of all students.
A Tradition of Support
Eric ButtsOpinions Co-Editor
interesting to speak with. Not neces-sarily your favorite person to talk to,
conversation to be most thought-provoking. If you are anything like me, and I bet that you are, the person you most enjoy speaking to is not only witty and intelligent, but highly opin-
-trol, abortion, quantitative easing, or even their picks for March Madness, this person probably has a thought out response in which they take a stand other than, “I don’t really know much about the subject, sorry.” As a senior, I have received some great advice from professors at Holy Cross. Not all of it was necessarily giv-en on purpose. One music professor, while teaching me how to improvise, gave me some wonderful life advice: “Do not be hesitant out of fear you
do it deliberately and with purpose.” However, some great advice has been
given on purpose. One example of this came when a professor told our class a few weeks ago, “I like Holy Cross studens. They are great at what they
something whether it turns out to be right or wrong.” Holy Cross students tend to be hard-working, nice, and intelligent. Only a minority could be described as “bold.” There is nothing wrong with being nice, hard-working, or intelligent (They are all admirable qualities), but those three qualities to-gether are a recipe for vanilla.
in our life to be the chocolate chips that make the vanilla something spe-cial. I pointed out that the most in-teresting people and opinionated and bold, but pick any person that society would deem “highly successful.” Pick a Jobs, Gates, Zuckerberg, Obama, Romney, or Bernanke. Sure, they are all hard-working and intelligent. I am sure that even most of them are nice, but the thing that makes them outli-ers in this world is the fact that they are bold enough to take a stand and support it.
Being intelligent and hard working is a requirement to being successful (as-suming you are not simply born with a silver spoon in your mouth), but bold-ness is the key which divides different levels of success. If you have been reading this Cru-sader section word-for-word, you have read several articles by seniors about what they have learned while work-ing on the editorial staff. Those ar-ticles are nice, but I wanted mine to be a little different. This is a request to the members of the Holy Cross com-munity. This is not an article against conformity, this is an article against stagnation. Do not let yourself get drawn into the routine of being too easy-going just to be more approach-able and likeable. Do not mistake in-difference for friendliness. Yes, having no opinion on a matter means you will offend fewer people, but it also means that fewer people will want to talk to you long enough to be offended. Just remember, the most intersting people are not the ones who bend to your opinion, but those willing to take stands.
!e Crusader OPINIONS December 6, 2013 7
Alex SneirsonStaff Writer
Are you a consumer? Said the manSitting next to me.Do you shop, do you buy?How obvious was my reply.
Said this man with sarcastic zest.
As the man shook his head and gave me a sigh.
Tell me,Said the man,How does the shopping make you grow?How do you know what makes you tickOr better yet what makes you glow?
Asked the man, ready to stay awhile.
Said the man,
If you buy daily to get by.
If it’s the advertisements that make you com-ply.Do you wear the shirt, or does the shirt wear you?He asked without awaiting reply.
I only ask,Said the man,Because I always wonder why-
Collect meaning while they lie. I understand their value, And I deeply respect its place,But what boggles my mind truly Is what the objects do replace.
It’s not that things don’t matter, Said the man sitting next to me.It’s when people do not realizeThat it’s all merely a dream.That being a consumer is just a gamePlayed by all around,Alas everyone’s always invited -Get a job and watch the wheels go round ‘n round.
The sensations and emotions, Oh they all are there, To be enjoyed and experienced
Said the man,
Trained from birth to build the walls,Your guards are your own peopleYou are the result of your own laws.
You consume with no real purposeYou are a buyer, you are a follower.
Julie BoothStaff Writer
The 22nd of November was a long since anticipated night. That was the night that Jennifer Lawrence in all her perfection graced cinema screens across the nation as the one and only Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire, in Catching Fire. Person-ally, I was only a mild fan of the books (I found Katniss to be a tease and quickly be-
-ness with the two boys, but I remained a fan because of the story). However, I am abso-lutely in love with the movies (and this may be the only time anyone will ever witness me saying the movie is better than the book). I thoroughly en-joyed the new movie, mostly because JLaw shines on and off screen making people fall head over heels for her, but also because of its attention to detail from the book. Seriously though, that’s how you adapt
adds a new spark and dimen-sion to her character, and she is, I believe, the true reason Katniss is the Girl on Fire.
that the Oscar-winning actress had given the metaphorical
-ers when they told her to lose weight, I knew that JLaw was going to be a big deal. Not for the same reasons as, say, Katy Perry or Daniel Radcliffe, but because she was different from all the rest of Hollywood’s stars (only Jennifer could have
handled her Oscar-stage spill with so much grace by pub-licly stating that the one and only Hugh Jackman helped
her values, and I believe that everyone is mentally giving her a standing ovation for it. In an age where young girls are molded by the media to think that they have to be thin and perfect to be beautiful, Jenni-fer Lawrence gives those girls
But not only is Jennifer a role model for health and self-
for being a good person and
of Jennifer with her costars and try to tell me that her costars, her friends, don’t ad-mire and love her. And don’t even try to convince me that your heart didn’t melt a little bit when JLaw opened the gate separating the red carpet from the crowd of fans in order to hug a young, handi-
personality spills over onto the screen, giving life to a closed-off character. She commits to her role as Katniss with as much soul and passion as we hope all our actors would and presents herself to the world with more strength, kindness, and courage than we’d expect. I went to The Hunger Games because of the book. I went back to Catch-ing Fire because of Jennifer Lawrence, the Girl on Fire.
Ali PineroStaff Writer
1. Give thanks for your pet through fre-
missed you, as you have missed them. 2. Go out for the night and sleep in- all day. You have no work. You have nothing, nothing but a full day ahead of you, one that you will squander away joyously with your pillow. Then when the stars align and the time feels right to arise, order Chinese food.
too many nights in the library wondering what has happened to our beloved charac-ters. Find out in the luxury of your very own couch with a tall glass of something special. 4. Enjoy the warm, delicious experience of
trek from dorms to dining halls every day. Re-member the short, cozy walk to your kitchen. Cherish it. Put it in your pocket for a snowy day. 5. Listen to music. Just listen. Don’t do anything else while listening. You have no papers to write or research to strug-gle though. It’s just you and your music now. Introduce yourself again, make nice with it. You’ve deemed it merely as back-ground noise to your studies over the past few months. Apologize. It will accept. 6. In that glorious week or two in be-tween the start of break and Christmas, play
Christmas songs really loud and bake cook-ies whilst throwing confetti in the air. Some-one should write a book about this time, a time of sheer joy and wonder -a time when your only responsibility is your cookies.
-mas on ABC Family as often as pos-sible, but I didn’t need to tell you that.
snow angels, ignoring the fact you and your vehicle will eventually have to struggle up the icy 90 degree angle that is Mount St. James. 9. Build a tent fort and invite your friends over. They are permitted admis-sion only while wearing a onesie. Of-fer them hot chocolate as they enter. 10. You can mix your laundry with the rest of your family’s, for free. It’s be-
11. If you’re a nerdy English major, like me, then read what you actually want to read. I was so hostile seeing the second Hunger Games movie without having had the op-portunity to read the book. This is your time. No classes or internships are telling you what
12. The real world isn’t a semester away; it’s not, no matter what anyone tells you. Avoid these people. They are the real Grinches and Scrooges. DON’T LET
Morning Joe 12 Things To Do During Your Christmas Break
Jennifer Lawrence Opinionated: Say Something Lauren McDonough
Co-Opinions Editor
I’ll be brief in my last article as an Opinions Co-Editor. If my time on the editorial staff has taught me any-thing, it’s the importance of having an opinion. As educated young people, it’s not only our right to create and express our own opinions; it’s sort of our obligation.
something to say, say it. If something offends you, speak up to change it. If
something confuses you, discuss it and
live in a world where facts are a few keystrokes away – there’s no excuse not to educate yourself. Once you’ve established your opin-ion on something, there are two im-portant rules to remember. Don’t be afraid to share your opinion, and don’t be afraid to change it. A person who can recognize their own misjudgment or see each side of an argument is an intelligent one. If you’ve followed my column,
you’ve noticed that most of my ar-ticles have left-leaning feminist tones. I don’t care if you’re a right-leaning
-ers Club – voice your opinion. The way to understanding one another – and thus getting along with one anoth-er – is learning what we think and why. So, if you have something important to say, say it. If you have an argument to make, write about it. If you have a vote to cast, don’t abstain, cast it. De-cide what interests you and explore it. Recognize what doesn’t interest you
Be Bold: The Importance of Being Opinionated
Sara BovatCo-Editor-in-Chief
been like the construction of a Ru-bik’s cube for me. I enjoy twisting and turning the alphabet to see what new patterns can be made, what new dimensions to to discover, and to
perfect way to articulate my intend-ed vision. I knew that words had a power to them and that I could give them this authority over them. There is a certain craze to arming language with the precise tone and sound that only the craft of writing can capture. During my years with The Crusader, I learned how strong the “tyranny of words” can truly be.
The Crusader as a staff writer for the news section in fall 2010, I saw the world in a completely different light. I saw it as a ladder – a vertical line – that I needed to climb. I perceived each action and prospect as a step to one ultimate direction. For me, this upward destination was the hope to become a journalist. Throughout my four years on the Hill, other extracurricular activi-ties have come and gone. I became a Manresa Retreat junkie. I spent a
hopelessly in love with Victorian novels. I decided not to study abroad in Spain. I have become a Dinand rat. I became an orientation leader. Yet, through all of this, this sixteen-page paper has remained my staple. It has been an incredible journey to watch The Crusader build over my
staff writer, the campus newspaper returned from a temporary hiatus and needed to rebuild itself com-pletely. The editorial board con-sisted of about ten student journal-ists, including the editors-in-chief. Now, the staff has grown to about
-ing to launch a new broadcast vid-eo service, an idea that we always dreamed of, but never executed until Brandon Gomez, ’14 returned from abroad and put the idea into motion. David Perretta, ‘14 has started a “Pulse of Events Page”
-dents to deliberate. The sports sec-tion now contains coverage of... wait
the size of the leap that The Crusader
The Crusader with all of its own accomplishments and excitements has been my companion, as I grew as a person. I joined The Crusader as
year-old dream to be a journalist. Yet, what did that mean to me? It meant an occupation. It meant a ‘chic’ im-age to pursue. It was not a vocational pursuit. I leave The Crusader as outgo-ing co-editor-in-chief with the real-ization that there is more to explore. The articles that I loved writing the most were the ones where I have the opportunity to have long, person-able conversations with former Holy Cross president, Father Michael Mc-
semesters, we discussed the College’s residence hall plans, his desire for the College to be eco-friendly, and ultimately his legacy at Holy Cross and plans for the future before his departure. I always admired the genuine care he took to contemplate his answers to my questions and his encouragement to hear back from me. I was not interviewing a Col-
-evantly interviewing an academic, a thinker, a moral compass. I gained more than just answers about the College’s mission and strategic plan from Father McFarland; I absorbed answers to how to combine the prac-tical with the ideal. These are all sen-timents that could not be portrayed into a seven hundred-word article, not now and not then. I learned the value of words away from the page. Conversation happened outside of The Crusader realm as well, es-pecially through Spring Break Im-mersion and Manresa, that have gradually and collectively changed my perspective. Starting with con-versations with Father McFarland,
to seek information, I now enjoy the organic nature to an exchange. I look forward to the surprise of the
A simple “how are you” streams into an exchange of family anec-dotes, which can in turn, trickle into learning about someone’s values. Yet, even through these new expe-riences, The Crusader came along for the journey. As someone who par-
it fascinating that the written words largely remain the same from ar-
ticle to article. “On February 3, this speaker discussed this topic in this place...” Yet, the meaning behind these words changed dramatically for me. I now attend the lectures I cover out of interest and write articles af-terward because I already attended. I wrote an article on the College’s im-pending new retreat center because I am genuinely interested in learning
so important to me, not because I know it is a front-page worthy story. As an outgoing co-editor-in-chief of a campus newspaper, I cannot say that I still want to be a journalist. The truth is that life at Holy Cross – in and outside of The Crusader – has gradu-ally taught me the true character of a nature of a journalist, to always be in question about myself and the world that I live in. There is still so much to experience and I feel that I have barely experienced any of it, which I learned that I do not necessarily do through the journalism profession. I recognize now that life is not a vertical ladder at all. Similar to try-
a document, it is a trial-and-error process. I can experiment with one vision and see where it takes me next. It may not translate to how I originally hoped, but I can allow
-ish until it simply feels right. That is how I want to lead my life, with the power of words at my possession.
8 !e Crusader OPINIONS December 6, 2013
The Roving Reporter
Compiled by Rachel Franchella
“I love Christmastime in New York City. I especially love ice
skating around Rockefeller Center with my little brother.”
-Alexandra Dougherty, ‘15
“I’m excited to travel with my family to India to cel-
ebrate Christmas. Can’t wait to try some Indian cuisine.”
-Margaux Will, ‘15
What are your plans for Winter Break?
“Well, I really can’t wait to go sleigh rid-
ing with all my friends from home. I live for the
thrill!”-Tess Hazen, ‘15
“I am excited to see my family and sleep.”
-Julia Levesque, ‘15
“I can’t wait to go skiing in Vermont. I just got new
mittens!”-Sam Moor, ‘15
The Crusader, My Four-Year Roommate-
–Charles Dickens,
Emily VyseCo-Editor-in-Chief
I have trouble with transitions.
of moving on is letting go of things that have been constant. The things you can depend on. I love my routines and the predict-able occurrences of my life—my weekly meetings, my regular Cool Beans order, running into the same people on the way to Stein every day, and Holy Cross tradi-
tions like Apple Fest and Lessons
cocoon I have formed for my-self. The Crusader has been one of those constants. It was one of
transition to the hill, and it is now
my transition to life after college. First and foremost, I am ex-tremely grateful for the invalu-able opportunities The Crusader offered me. From writing stories, to leading a staff, to working with administrators, I know that my experience has shaped me to the soon-to-be-college-graduate I am today and will serve me well in whatever career I pursue.
pleased every one of our read-ers, freedom from censorship al-lowed the Crusader staff to inform the student body and embrace a variety of points of view, while maintaining a sense of journal-istic integrity. It is my hope that the future staff continues to en-joy that privilege and represent the student voice. As I learned
in the past four years, the media truly are the watchdogs of soci-ety and should ask the hard ques-tions to allow for open, honest and productive dialogue about is-sues that impact the community. And probably most important-ly, I am honored to have worked with such a talented and dedicat-ed team of Holy Cross students on The Crusader. I have learned so much from working with my co-editor, Sara Bovat, whose commitment to the paper never wavered. I could not have asked for a better partner. She and I have become very close with our editorial board, who are the backbone of the paper. It is their hard work that makes all the dif-
the paper is that it allows each writer, photograph and editor to add his or her own creativity and passion to its pages—the matter-of-fact advice in Ask Alannah, the dry wit of the Features and Opinions writers, Andrew Fan-ikos’ Purple Pennings, Brandon Gomez and his broadcast en-deavors. I could go on. I am so happy to see so many differ-ent personalities, interests, and voices in the paper each week. And in this way, The Crusader will always be a part of our lives.
piece of all of us with what we brought to it and the relation-ships we formed along the way. In producing the paper each week, we hope to connect to the Holy Cross community. I love
through The Crusader on Friday mornings in Cool Beans, point-ing out their favorite articles to friends and starting conver-sation. And whether you only scan the Roving Reporter once in awhile or you read the paper from cover to cover every week, I hope that The Crusader has been something for our community to connect over, a part of the routine. It is a Holy Cross tra-dition that each of us has been a part of. Though it will soon be shifting out of my routine, I look forward to seeing what the next chapter of The Crusader will bring. You can bet that I’ll be
when September rolls around.
Goodbye, Dear Crusader
“I’m very excited to spend New Years Eve in Mon-
treal again!”-Kaleigh Kelly, ‘15
Features !e Crusader FEATURES December 6, 2013 9
Crusader of The Week Samantha DeCoste, ‘14
Faculty Spotlight Professor Elizabeth O’Connell-Inman
Finding The “New” You Tips and Tricks
Hannah ShawStaff Writer
Have you been looking for a change? Whether you are going through a bad break-up or just hit that mid-semester slump, sometimes switching up your routine, your style, or your habits is just what
with your day, and even less stressed out.· Hit the gym. I know everyone groans at the
-ercise, even just twice a week, according to the
endorphins, which help to improve your mood. Going to the gym can even help you to feel sense of accomplishment.· Try a little “Spring Cleaning”. It’s not spring, no, but it is true that “a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind.” Clutter can actually make you very stressed out. So your room that you’ve been meaning to get around to cleaning – clean it. You’ll have less
-ing never hurts. Putting up posters, lights or even Christmas decorations for the coming holiday
little bit goes a long way.
to draw. Pick it up again. Hobbies are a great stress relief; they also decrease your levels of fa-tigue throughout the week. Picking up a hobby like drawing or puzzles or scrapbooking are great ways to make sure you have time to yourself.· Try a new look. New lipstick, new mascara, new shaving cream, new perfume, pick even one and you’ll feel the difference. Try a new hairstyle. If
boost.· Two words: Retail Therapy. Believe it or not, a little pinch in your wallet can actually relieve stress and can make you feel new again. The act of shopping is relatively mindless and is proven
of wearing that sweater you’ve had since middle school, splurging on your wardrobe can shape your fashion sense around who you are in the cur-rent moment. It can make you feel sophisticated,
Ali Skamangas Features Co-Editor
Hometown:Major: EconomicsBest Dorm: Favorite Song: “Love Your Love the Most” by Eric ChurchBest Meal on Campus: Buffalo Chick-en FlatbreadFavorite Professor: Professor BoyleGuilty Pleasure: Eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for dinnerE m b a r r a s s i n g Story: In high school I was surf-ing and fell off my board and sliced my nose open. I had to wear a pro-tective cast on it during my soccer season and I had a black eye.Favorite TV Show: FriendsFavorite Movie: The DepartedHobbies: Travel-ing, cooking, and hanging out with friendsF a v o r i t e O f f - C a m p u s Restaurant: Flying RhinoAdvice for Underclassmen: Study abroad your junior year!!Favorite Holy Cross Class: Modern Dance
Campus Activities: Big Brother Big -
sadorFavorite Book: The Tipping Point by Malcom GladwellPet Peeve: When people call me my identical twin sister’s nameStarbucks Drink: Iced Chai Tea LatteNumber One Thing on your HC Bucket List: Star in my own 10 Spot or sing in an a-capella group…unfor-tunately I can’t sing. so that one’s never
going to happen.Favorite animal:
preferably puppiesYour Mantra: Push yourself outside of your comfort zone because that’s when you’ll feel the most
Favorite Color: Light blueTwitter or Insta-gram: Instagram!Crossroads or Kimball: Kimball for the social atmo-sphereWhere you see yourself in 10 years: Married…hopefully, and em-ployed somewhere
that I enjoy working every dayWinter Break Plans: Skiing and visiting my sister at her school in Maine
Evan Grogan Staff Writer
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you
Professor Elizabeth O’Con-nell- Inman, Lecturer in the Department of Spanish and Di-rector of Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum, cites this quote as the best advice for liv-ing one’s life. She tells students, “You have a compass. Keep going back to it. Your life will not unfold in a linear fashion. It will not be the story you thought you were writing. Be resilient. Be compas-
-es.” Professor O’Connell-Inman has been teaching at the College
years, after graduating from the college in 1979. She says, “Coming to teach at Holy Cross was like coming home. My father and grandfa-
ther were alums, and I am now teaching the sons and daughters of my classmates!” Professor O’Connell-Inman’s job consists of teaching a wide variety of Spanish classes, in-cluding Elementary 1, Medical
-
also directs the language and technology program (DISC: Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum), where students work independently with a technology-based language cur-riculum. The DISC program requires her to keep track of about one hundred students per
of language learning. For her, the best thing about teaching at the College of the Holy Cross is the relationships she forms with her students and advisees. She says, “I love watching my
The last advising session and
last class second semester se-nior year is bittersweet. These students have transformed be-
come back to visit after gradua-tion having done amazing work, and I see pictures of them with their kids on Facebook, and I marvel at the people they have become.” Not only does Professor O’Connell-Inman enjoy teach-
She says, “I once piloted a
around New England, frequent-ly popping over to Nantucket or the Vineyard for lunch. One day, he sat back and had me take the controls. It was terrifying—and probably a little bit illegal—but, in the end, great fun!”
encounter Professor O’Con-nell-Inman she will offer you a ride in her plane. If not, just say hi and remember to “make good choices.”
Iphone Apps for The Student in You
Caroline KeaneAppologist
1. Dropbox:
computer and the web ensuring that everything is in one place, no matter where you are. 2.8tracks: Need a party playlist? Study? Workout? There’s a playlist for that. Through 8tracks, you can choose a playlist for whatever you’re doing or for whatever mood you’re in. 3. Mint.com: With the crazy bar scene around here and the constant lure of the mega Walmart, we all could use
a little help managing our money better. Mint.com does just that! Mint.com gives you a budget based on your bank ac-count information and then compiles a list of helpful tips personalized for you on how to save and spend your money.
Studyblue: Flashcards. On. Your. Phone… what else can I say?! This app rocks and is so useful, not to mention environmentally friendly. 5. IFTTT: ‘If this then that’ syncs with up to 69 apps in order to create
-ample: “If it rains tomorrow, then re-mind me to leave early for class”
Thoughts on Thanksgiving Stef Schefter
Staff Writer
Last week, as I sat down for Thanks-giving dinner with my family, we went around the table to share what we were thankful for this year. It began with the usual stuff—our family, our health, our home, the food on the table. When it came to be my dad’s turn, however, he said something really interesting—he said that he was thankful that God had always given him “a path.” When I
that in his life, it had always been obvi-
be an acceptance into a graduate pro-gram, an awesome job offer, a house in a good neighborhood. He reasoned that
having too little opportunity is limiting and frustrating, but having too many opportunities can be confusing and re-
this over, I realized that having a clear path really is a great gift. With fall se-mester coming to a close, and spring semester and graduation upon us, I’m realizing how much I would love to have a clear path on the horizon—that one job offer that just makes sense, or an acceptance into that perfect program or internship. I’m realizing that I don’t want or need lots of options—just one
step should be. Holy Cross Campus Cutie Cam@HC_CampusCutieCam
Who signed up for Benching for Breast Cancer? #Save2ndBase
10 !e Crusader FEATURES December 6, 2013
O! Campus Apartments Available For 2013-2014 and 2014-2015
**Only $350 per student per month****Very reasonably priced**
**Save your parents $3000-4000**
-Rent an apartment or an entire house-Newly renovated kitchens/bathrooms
-All have washers/dryers, dishwashers, and disposals-O! Street parking
-Well maintained by a Holy Cross Alum-Excellent references from tenants
Contact Paul at (617) 331-7188 or [email protected]
5 Ways to Not Accomplish Anything
and Enjoy ItSara Bovat
Co-Editor in Chief
step outside the gates of Holy Cross and never return as a student. I dread this impending, apocalyptic doom so such a disgusting degree that I am ac-tually in denial that May 23 will even have to come at all. If I purposely fail all of my classes, then I can just stay. Right? RIGHT?! Of course, I need to be subtle about my approach. I compose tweets about the amount of work I have to do and the hours-on-end at Dinand Library and talk about my goals for academic progress for the day; but re-ally, it is all for show. I don’t actually do accomplish anything. I keep telling people that I am writing this “thesis.” In reality, however, my mind is in one permanent state of procrastination station. Would you like to join? It is a rath-er cozy niche of intentional oblivion, even if you don’t actually want to fail all of your classes like I do. Procras-tination – the art of not getting any-thing done while pretending that you
survive.
procrastination projects). 1.Go to the end of the Internet and back again:Searching the Internet is a spiritual pil-grimage, much like the one described in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. You will come across a diverse range of characters with different backgrounds and vibrant points-of-view. You may start with the intention to simply avoid pursuing academia, but you will come out of the journey as a changed, worldly individual with a closer relationship to God, Bon Qui Qui. 2.Twiddle Your Thumbs: Literally.
criticism and sarcasm that this activi-ty receives! If you have circulation in your hands, by all means, use it! Simple as that. 3.Take Dinand Library laps: Let’s
-ness is a huge value of mine; some may even call it a sacrament if you will. How many times do you go to the gym each week, you ask? Well, the beauty of being an academic procras-tinator is that I don’t need to actually step into the steamy, death trap that modern society calls a ‘gym.’ I simply write a sentence of my paper and re-ward my body – and soul! – with a lap around Dinand. Some may think I am going to use the restroom or print a document, but really, I am getting my carb loss-on! 4. Memorize the alphabet in re-verse: It is nauseating how many peo-ple do not know to recite the alphabet
people. Not only is this a go-to test for
the resumes. Nothing says that you are more determined, attentive-to-detail, and thought-provoking than having this alphabetical order memorized. (Don’t worry, no one needs to know that you only have this recitation down because you were avoiding your studies.) If you are really a go-getter,
-
even continue in the afterlife. 5.Create your own religion: Or-ganized religion, you either hate it or
goers?) Let’s face it: You will undoubt-edly love it if this religion is an ideolo-gy of your own invention and perhaps
accomplish anything, while actually accomplishing so much.
“Faith of the Week” Introduces Ahmad Nabi Hassanzoy
Matt KingStaff Writer
What is your religion and Sect?My religion is Islam and among Muslims (Muslim or Moslem re-fers to a follower of Islam) there are many different sects, but two are common, the Shiite Islamic Sect and the Sunni Islamic Sect.
the Shiite Sect is the minority and the Sunni Sect is the majority. I am from the Sunni Sect. The Sun-
and according to the teachings of Islam, they are asked to follow the ways of Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as close as possible. Even though, I am from the Sunni Sect of Islam, today, I am also open to accept people of other religions such as Jews, Christians and Hindus or any non-believers for what they believe in. I simply do not see a need to either force my religion on someone else or to dislike someone else simply because they belong to a different religion than my own. What are your holy books?Unfortunately, I am not a student
many books are there that one must read and learn in order to be a scholar in Islam. However, for most Muslims like me, the Quran holds the place of our holy book. Muslims are required to respect
-ample, the Quran must be read with one’s utmost attention, the Quran must not be placed on the ground, the Quran must not be burn, the Quran must be kept in a clean place, etc. What are your favorite teach-ings of your religion?
-lars of Islam, my favorite is zakat
(zah-cat) the idea to give. This means that a good Muslim must takes a certain amount of their income each year and give it to the poor in their community or to a charity organization. There are other ways that one can gives zakat as well.What is one thing that you wish all people knew about your religion?I wish that all the Jews, Christians and Muslims reminded them-selves regularly that the story
Isaac, is told in all three religions. I am sure the storyline may vary from one religion to another, but I think this is a great story that not only shows a connection between our religions, but also teaches us some very valuable lessons. For
-spective, this story teaches us that we must forgive one another just
-ham in this tale. Growing up what is your favor-ite memory of a religious cel-ebration?
-ghanistan) as a civil engineer and its project manager. He was pret-ty much away from home all year
-
my family became refugees in Pa-
and my father believed that it was safe for our family to live in Paki-stan. For those of you who have seen the movie, Charlie Wilson’s
refugees living in Pakistan and Iran is represented in the movie through visual representations. There were two times of the year when my father would come home regularly, during Eid ul-
also the two widely celebrated holidays in the Muslims calendar
him home with the family was something that I still remember and the fact that we celebrated these holidays together as a fam-ily. What is your favorite religious celebration and why?The month of Ramadan is con-sidered as the most holy month of the year for Muslims and it is also a month of importance to me. The common story of Rama-dan is that during this month, you must not eat or drink anything from sunrise until sunset. How-ever, there is more to Ramadan that makes this month unique as well than just not eating or drinking. During Ramadan, you are not only required to fast with your mouth, but you must also fast with your hands, feet, eyes, mind and your speech. In other words, it is a whole process that is meant to cleanse one of their mistakes once a year. Ramadan is also meant to remind one of the positions of poor in our world.
process, you are allow to celebrate your success of completing the Ramadan.
Julia Midland
DJ
time of Finals currently, there is hope! Christmas is around the corner. Whether it’s the Christmas Tree Light-ing or Lessons and Carols
this past week or the treats all around Holy Cross’ hal-lowed eateries, you know it’s upon you, so don’t look so glum! Brush off that Ugly Sweater, pop a cookie or
-ally. This too shall pass and remember Baby Jesus. Here’s a playlist of some alternative
Christmas music (a lot of covers to snuggle up under) if you’re tired of the same old CD your mom dusts off
-
1. “Last Christmas (BBC Radio 1 Live Session)” The
is You (Mariah Carey Cov-er)” Ellie Goulding (Pop)3. “Please Daddy (Don’t
Get Drunk this Christmas) (John Denver Cover)” The
Decemberists (Folk)
Jarrod Dickenson (Brooklyn Folk)
5. “Merry Xmas (Says Your
(Pop)6. “Holiday” Vampire Weekend (Funky Vam-
pire-Weekend-esque-ness)7. “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever” Sufjan
Stevens (Guitar Plucky Calm
-mas is You” Summer Camp (Kick-Drummin’ Mash Up)9. “Christmas Card From
a Hooker in Minneapolis (Tom Waits Cover)” Neko Case (Beautiful Story-Tell-
ing)10. “Mamacita, Donde Esta
Santa Claus?” Guster
Mixtape: Rah, Rah, Christmas!
!e Crusader FEATURES December 6, 2013 11
Holiday Shoppping for the Penny Pinching
Hannah ShawStaff Writer
Christmas is right around the corner
even thought of Christmas shopping? Christmas shopping takes time and re-search and most of all – money. But it could be easier and more importantly, cheaper. Here’s a few tips to help you through your holiday shopping and get the most bang for your buck. For mall-shoppers, go to the mall on weekdays, in the middle of the day. It will likely be less crowded and there will be less of a frenzy in your favorite
right gift you’ve been looking for might be 30% off. By going on days that ar-en’t as busy, you can be more at ease to check out sales and take advantage of them, spending a lot less cash than you might have otherwise. For all other shopping, there are a lot less rules. Some friends might have whole Christmas lists with what they want listed down to the make and model, but for the typical friend you’re
good rule for this is: “Never buy a gift you wouldn’t be happy receiving.” Now, I’m sure your friends and family will love whatever you buy them, but who wants to be the one to give a bad gift?
So say, you don’t know what to buy
fairly standard gift might be a cozy pair of pajama pants from Old Navy and a peppermint-scented lotion from Bath & Body Works. Maybe throw in a bag of her favorite type of candy – like Peanut M&Ms and a sweet holiday card and
isn’t going to break the bank, but it isn’t super original either. Thoughtful and original gifts don’t need to have huge price tags either. So, if your roommate just turned 21, a cele-bratory shot glass might be a fun gift. Or if your sister got her ears pierced, may-be a funky pair of earrings. Presents like these show thought, care, and consid-eration. If you’re shopping for a funky fashionista: try stores like Francesca’s or Forever 21. For a tech geek: try online at ThinkGeek.com or even Etsy.com. For a bookworm: you can never go wrong at Barnes and Noble. For ladies: go per-sonalized, from monogramed iPhone covers to personalized pendants. The prices might surprise you. You don’t need to break the bank to buy friends and family great Christmas gifts. By following these tips, you might
Ask Alannah Alannah Heffernan Chief Features Editor
her. She sits in front of me in class and her hair smells like peaches. Today when she passed back my CEF, my heart stopped and I knew I had to say something. The only word that came out of my mouth was a prepubescent “…Thanks.” I am scared if I don’t fess up to my crush, I will never get the chance
150 minutes a week with her.
Sincerely,Jack Frost Nipping at My Tongue
Dear Jack Frost Nipping at My Tongue,
This is a problem many Holy Cross students have from time to time. Living in this small bubble sometimes
IT.” What do you have to lose? If it doesn’t work out
forget about it. Don’t get me wrong, there is no doubt
s e e work out too, so go for it! This isn’t high school anymore
The Gym CrushAlumni Perspectives:
Jeff Godowski, ‘13Jeff Godowski
Class of 2013
One year ago, I was probably running from
staff meeting, barely thinking about homework
-plication that was due in a week. I write this on a Tuesday, so realistically, a year ago I was also
be at The Pub and still manage to get all of that work done. Somehow, in the magical word that is Holy Cross, the work always seemed to get done, and I still got on the Pub Rats poster. Even though this all sounds like a mess, my advice is to cherish every minute of it. I say this because a
graduate, and drive out of those gates at the end of Linden Lane. The one thing I didn’t realize a year ago was how much I would want to go back to Worcester, drive up College Street, and go back through those gates.
change drastically. I still take challenging courses, run from work to class and back, plan for staff meetings, do homework, and try to plan what I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life—I even still live in a residence hall. I don’t, howev-er, manage to get to a pub as frequently. With all of these similarities in mind, I would have to say that my biggest transition is not being at a
I have gone to Catholic school from Pre-K to
retreats, attending late-night mass in the chapel, -
bing lunch with a Jesuit, and casually throwing around words like magis and cura personalis. Since my graduate program is so focused on one subject (like most graduate programs are), I miss being able to take the wonderful variety of courses provided by amazing professors at Holy Cross. Even though the scenery has changed, I still manage to connect to my Holy Cross commu-nity. Thankfully, I am still in New England and can get back to campus occasionally. I manage to
Because of the faculty devotion to the students -
nect with my favorite professors. I consistently
connect my undergraduate major and minors of
(don’t ask me how, but it’s possible). To all of the
Four Cornerstones and Jesuit Education. So yes, the four years you spend at Holy Cross are a whirlwind. You’ll be running around from practice, to class, from work to rehearsal, from a club meeting to a study session. You’ll also be prepared to handle anything you face when you go into the “real world.” I can’t speak to every
you leave Holy Cross, but there is a huge com-munity of supportive alumni that will always be happy to talk to a fellow crusader and to help you make it out of that whirlwind.
Katie DeGennaroFashion Guru
Features Co-Editor
Everyone has one. Ev-eryone needs one. The Gym Crush. Working out is hard. I mean we don’t call is “resting out.” Our workouts, while they vary, are all physically intense and abuse our already sore muscles. But what about that day when you’re just not feeling it? It’s 8:00 in the morning and you don’t want to increase the resistance on the elliptical, you’re tired. You were up all night studying for an
grade and your roommate had a mystery guest again. Nervously looking to your left and right eyeing the sweaty competition, you spot him. You spot her. Your gym crush. Sudden-ly you want to increase the speed of your treadmill. You want to do your arm curl sets in plain sight and you want sweat to bead down your face! Why?
Why must our society be show off driven?! From the girl run-ning eight miles on the treadmill
up on the bar, everyone is trying hard in an effort to show off their undying strength and toned thighs to anyone who is willing to witness. But like all unfortunate fates, there is a silver lin-ing to our show off soci-ety. You will work harder. Plain and simple. There is no mystery pill to help you shed pounds or a three-week workout that will change your body completely. But, what is available, at any and ev-ery gym, for no fee at all, is a gym crush. Upon en-tering the gym and lacing up your Nikes, you must scan the facility. Scan the weight racks and the cardio machines for that special stranger who will make you work harder. Find that girl in Lulu leg-gings on the elliptical, that boy warming up on the
bike, or even the much older man cycling through the weight machines. No matter the target, pick it quickly, and begin to at-tack your workout. We are notoriously con-ceited. In stein we judge
break we judge skin tone
judge partygoer personal-ities. No matter the situ-ation, we are surrounded by competition and judg-ment. So instead of falling victim take control.
into the gym pick out a crush and continue to crush it! Squat lower! Run faster! Curl heavier! Your gym crush will fuel your workout better than Ga-torade every will!
Eat the week!
Your Fashion Fairy God-mother, Katie E. DeGennaro
Overheard on The HillGirl 1: “I got invited to three ugly sweater parties, but I only have one ugly
sweater!”Girl 2 & Girl 3: “We can all switch!”
12 !e Crusader FEATURES December 6, 2013
The Eggplant
The Crusader’s Satirical Page
Mice Scare Elephants by Zacchaeus Patterson
Bruins Fans Displeased with Team’s Hot StartKarl Beckman
With a 19-7-2 mark through the
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
--
-
-
-
-
-
-
Annonymous
The Crusader -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
--
Robby Keilig
-
-
--
-
--
-
--
---
-
-
-
--
-
-
-
Letter to the Editor Girl Freezes in Place After Leaving Party
! e Crusader SPORTS December 6, 2013 13
Sports Holy Cross, Boston and Beyond
Holy Cross Upsets #7 Boston College 5-4John Morton
Staff Writer
Even though it may not be the top moment in Holy Cross hockey his-tory, (that honor goes to their 2006 upset of Minnesota in the West Regional) last Friday’s stunning 5-4 victory over #7 Boston Col-lege certainly ranks a close second.
ever win in the hockey program’s history over Boston College and
lost to an Atlantic Hockey op-ponent. The win represents the third win over a top 10 ranked team in its program history. “It was unbelievable,” said fresh-man forward Mike Barrett who contributed two goals in the vic-
the game. “Everyone in hock-ey knows the talent and pres-tige of the BC hockey team so it makes the win that much better.” Holy Cross began the scoring in the game by notching two goals
lead. About two minutes later, BC got on the board to make it 2-1. The team was unfazed by the BC goal as they lit up the score sheet in the sec-ond period. They scored three times to take a 5-1 lead into the third period. Even though he contributed two of the goals, Barrett
a team effort in this historic upset. “I can’t give enough credit to Matt Vidal, Castan Sommer, and Joe McNamara for the goals,” said
and my linemates (Vidal and Som-mer) made the second one possi-
ble; all the credit goes to them.” Barrett’s line played exception-ally throughout the game as Vidal chipped in with a goal and two assists in the victory while Sommer added a goal as well.
Taking a four goal lead into the third period, the team was well
aware that they could never count the Eagles out. They made it a close game by scor-ing three late goals
nior goalie Matt Ginn. H o w e v -er, despite the swing in mo-m e n t u m , the team
r e m a i n e d c o n f i d e n t
they could withstand the late BC rally and maintain their lead. “We expected them to come
very talented team,” said Barrett. “Even though we gave up a couple
goals late in the game, the coach-
guys composed on the bench.” Ginn made three great saves
with the goalie pulled to pre-serve the victory. He saved 34 out of 38 shots in the game. The win pushes Holy Cross’ record to 4-9 on the year and will be a motivational tool for the team as they begin to play more Atlan-tic Hockey opponents as well as defending national champion Yale from the ECAC conference later this month. Barrett acknowledged the potential impact this win could have in future contests saying, “This
dence for the guys. Hopefully it will carry over into this weekend against Air Force and we can earn a much need 4 points. Our victory over BC proves to the hockey community that Holy Cross, and the schools in Atlantic Hockey, are very strong.”
Crusaders Fall on Senior Day
Pete Zona Staff Writer
The Holy Cross Crusaders foot-ball team wrapped up its 2013 cam-paign on Saturday, November 23 against the Georgetown Hoyas. It was Senior Day and thirty seniors were honored before the game for their contributions over the past four seasons. However, George-town prevented these seniors from
one-yard touchdown run by Holy Cross freshman quarterback Peter
pass to senior wide receiver Mike
quarter with a 14-7 lead. None-theless, the Hoya defense held the Crusaders to only one score over
touchdown reception by freshman wide receiver Jake Wieczorek, and the Holy Cross defense struggled to stop Georgetown quarterback Kyle Nolan, as the Hoyas pre-vailed by a score of 28-21. The win snapped an eight game los-ing streak for Georgetown which ended its season with a 2-9 record overall and a 1-4 record within the Patriot League. With the loss, Holy Cross concluded its season with a 3-9 overall record, and a 1-4 mark in the Patriot League. While the Crusaders did not meet their expectations for the season, the team did improve upon its overall record from the 2012 season. In addition, several members of the team were hon-ored by the Patriot League for their performances throughout the year. After being named Pa-triot League Rookie of the Week
the season, quarterback Peter Pu-
the year completing 211 of 332 pass attempts for 2,261 yards and 19 touchdowns to go along with 136 rushes for 469 yards and eight touchdowns. Additionally, senior wide receiver Mike Fess, senior punter John Macomber, and se-nior offensive tackle Kyle Pedretty were named second team all-con-ference. Fess led the team with 75 receptions for 893 yards and nine scores and completed his ca-reer with a Holy Cross record 209 receptions, good for 2,211 yards and 15 touchdowns. Macomb-er, who covered all of the team’s kicking duties, was named to the second all-conference team as a punter after averaging 40.8 yards on 51 punts. He ended his career as the Holy Cross leader in career punting average and scored 167
tra points. Finally, Pedretty was a key member of a solid offensive line that helped the Crusaders av-erage 395 yards and 27 points per game for the season. Fess, Ma-
Jones were also honored by the Patriot League for their perfor-
room by being named to the Ac-ademic All-Patriot League Team. While the Crusaders failed to make the NCAA FCS Playoffs this season, several of their oppo-nents were able to qualify for the postseason. This past weekend, the Patriot League champion La-fayette Leopards, who defeated Holy Cross 41-23 at Fitton Field
on October 26, got run over in
Hampshire Wildcats and fell by a score of 45-7. The Wildcats, who played the Crusaders in both the 2011-2012 seasons, will travel to play their Colonial Athletic Asso-ciation rival the # 10 Maine Black Bears this weekend. Additionally, the #9 Fordham Rams, who were ineligible for the Patriot League title due to awarding athletic foot-ball scholarships before Patriot League policy allowed scholarships for its football players, received an at-large bid to the tournament and defeated the Sacred Heart Pioneers of the Northeast Conference in
27. At 12-1 overall, Fordham, who beat the Crusaders 32-30 at Ford-ham on November 2, will now face the 10-2 #5 Towson Tigers of the Colonial Athletic Conference who crushed Holy Cross 49-7 at Fitton Field for the home opener on Sep-tember 7 and were ranked as high as #2 earlier in the season. While
two-time defending champion and number one seed North Dakota State Bison, teams like Fordham and Towson have proven that they are among the elite of the FCS of division one college football. The Holy Cross Crusaders demonstrat-ed an ability to compete with teams of that caliber throughout the sea-
they will be ready to challenge for the Patriot League title next season
Gabe Guild back at the helm with a year of experience behind them.
Same Old Story in Patriots Win Over
the TexansPatrick Buscone
Staff Writer
Before the New England Patri-ots squared off against the Houston Texans on Sunday, you have to won-der how a team like the Texans fell
year, they went 12-4 and made it to the Divisional round of the playoffs before the Patriots sent them pack-ing with a decisive 41-28 victory. This season s a completely differ-ent story as Texans came into their matchup with the Patriots at 2-9 and on a nine game losing streak.
on their side. Even in the second half, it looked like the Texans could still pull it off as they maintained their lead over the pats. Alas, Brady and Co. proved to be too good in
ots surged towards a dramatic vic-
of their second half drives (not including the last drive in which they were trying to run the clock out) while Brady picked apart the best passing defense in the league.Does any of that sound familiar? If you’ve watched the Patriots this year then it’s the same story. The Patriots take a nap through the
know, they come out in the sec-ond half and take over the game. The Patriots cannot keep do-ing this If they hope to succeed in 2013. Sure they got by against the
Texans (2-10) and even pulled off a surprise win over the 10-2 Bron-cos, but come playoffs something has got to give. The fact is that when it comes playoff time and all the teams are talented and des-perate to win, the team that plays best for the full sixty minutes will win. That much is undisputed. Now, I appreciate that this team is able to make good halftime ad-
that the Patriots are a second half
But there comes a point where you have to wonder, if they can do so well in the second half, then why
That is the question Bill Belichick and the Patriots need to ask them-selves. Because right now, the New England Patriots are not a Super Bowl team, no matter how well they can play in the second half of games. Until they can be relied on to put together a winning effort for a full sixty minutes, they will not be taken seriously as a contender. They have
Hopefully, you won’t be reading an-other article like this in the last quar-ter of the season because I certainly don’t want to write another one.
Courtesy of Hannah Smith
sounds against
14 !e Crusader SPORTS December 6, 2013
College Hill ApartmentsBoyden, Caro & Clay Streets
O!-Street ParkingDon’t wait for the Lottery
A few apartments/townhouses are stillAvailable for 2014-2015
Call Paul Giorgio508-450-0278
BIG DATA. ANALYTICS.INSIGHTS.
At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, you’ll learn to explore and use big data for innovations in healthcare, science, and engineering.
Apply now to our Data ScienceGraduate Program. Take the lead in a data-driven world.
wpi.edu/+datascience
Women’s Cross Country Season: Final Recap
Emily IannaconiStaff Writer
First and foremost, Champion-ship season is a very exciting time for the Holy Cross Women’s Cross Country team. Every member of the team goes all out with purple ribbons and we cheer louder than we ever have before stepping up to the starting line. Of course the Crusaders were excited, but the
could not help but be bittersweet as well because the season was almost over. The four seniors, including captains Emily Hughes, and San-dra van den Heuvel, wanted to
their careers with the Holy Cross Women’s Cross Country team on a positive and memorable note. Championship season kicked off with the Patriot League Champion-
ship on November 2nd at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. Qualifying members of this race would go on to compete in the NCAA North-east Regional on November 15th.
7th out of 10 teams on the 6K course at Metzgar Field. Emily
a time of 22:48.62. Hughes was fol-lowed by Caroline Carley ’16, who
the race. Rounding out the scor-ing for the Crusaders was Caroline
ran a time of 23:33.93, Mary Welsh ’17 (45th, 23:39.59), and Amanda
with a time of 23:50.54. Sandra van den Heuvel ’14 (23:55.45) and
-ished 55th and 62nd respectively. Following their Patriot League
performance, select members of the Women’s Cross Country team traveled to Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, New York for the NCAA Northeast Regional 6K race. In a
of 22:03.60. She was followed by
a time of 22:45.00. Welsh ran a time of 23:03.40, earning 164th place, and she was followed by Carr who ran 23:05.70, which was good for 165th place. Rounding out the scoring for the Crusaders were Waldron (23:01.70), Sowins-ki (23:10.70), and van den Heuvel (23.11.70), who earned 162nd, 169th, and 170th place respec-tively. At this meet last year, the
37 teams. This year however, the women improved substantially,
challenging and exciting course.
the Crusaders traveled back to Van Cortlandt Park on November 23rd for ECAC/IC4A Championship
-try race of their career, the three
the season strong and determined. Hughes led the Crusaders with a time of 18:37.9, earning her 8th
-
in 15th place with a time of 18:47.3.
-ishing 27th with a time of 19.04.9. The scoring for the Crusaders was completed by van den Heuvel (19.12.5) and Carr (19.36.6), earn-ing 29th and 50th place respective-ly. Sowinski (19:46.6) and Katie
57th and 62nd for the Crusaders,
also ending their seasons strong-
of 17 teams, right behind Pitts-burgh, and Sacred Heart. It was an emotional day for seniors Emily Hughes, Sandra van den Heuvel, Kerry Dunne, and Amanda Wal-dron. No one can imagine the team without these four. Their encour-agement and support throughout every workout and race made the toughest challenges seem doable because they never lost faith in the potential of the team to be great. The 2013 Women’s Cross Country season ended in a very memora-ble way indeed, and the seniors will certainly be missed next year.
Tyler SciontiSports Co-Editor
Well the semester is coming to
while there it looked like GM Ben Cherington had forgotten that his
well, as they say it’s better late than never. Up until now the Sox have plugged a few holes, but there are
Training so without further adieu, here is your hot stove update.
starting nine will look like in 2014: Catcher: The Sox made a huge splash earlier this week by trad-ing for Rangers veteran catcher AJ Pierzynski. The sox got the veteran for a one year and $8.25 million.Pierzynski owns a career .283 and averages 16 homers and
say the guy is a great hitting catch-
er (not much of an OBP guy though—that .297 OBP in 2013 is pretty nasty, in a bad way). Unfortunately that is where the praise ends. Pierzynski is a weak defensive catcher, and that is putting it lightly. At 36 going on 37 he is approaching his re-tirement, which is not what the Sox want in such a demanding position. He also has a career caught-stealing percentage of
than Varitek’s mark of 23%. I’d pick Salty any day, but this is what the Sox get and it’ll have to do.First base: All signs point to Mike Napoli who has made it very clear he wants to return
getting the right contract on the table. Napoli was productive in 2013 as he mashed 23 homers alongside 92 RBI’s giving the Sox little to fear when it comes to his hip condition. Should Na-poli come back the Sox will have a very strong offensive team (and
also one that strikes out a lot), but should he walk the Sox will
Shortstop: Unless the Sox re-
sign Stephen Drew, expect to see Xander Bogaerts starting at short in 2014. The young rookie impressed in his short stint with Boston, posting a .250 average with one homer
What was even more impres-sive though was his .296 aver-age in the playoffs as he pro-vided several clutch hits and walks to lead the Sox to vic-
-gaerts has a very bright future
to be a superstar that could rival the former Sox short stop Hanley Ramirez (but let’s not get ahead of ourselves).
This is the lone sore spot on Ben Cherington’s Christmas list. Jacoby Ellsbury expects a fat contract that will
and although no one is bit-
to budge. With Boras as his agent Ellsbury is pretty much unafford-
able which means the Sox will
The Sox do have a few solutions: they can trade, sign a free agent, or dip into the farm system. If they want talent they are better off trading as the free agent market is pretty thin. However they could promote Jackie Bradley Jr. to the
-age and 10 homers in AAA Paw-tucket may not be a horrible idea. There you have it folks, the Sox have been busy as ever trying to plug the holes in their roster and although it has been a tough go-ing they seem to be doing a de-
the Sox with us through 2013, it
and one I will never forget. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and as always GO SOX.
Red Sox Hot Stove: Heating Up
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.org
$8.25 million deal earlier this week. It will be interesting to see how the veteran
! e Crusader SPORTS December 6, 2013 15
BIG DATA. ANALYTICS.INSIGHTS.
At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, you’ll learn to explore and use big data for innovations in healthcare, science, and engineering.
Apply now to our Data ScienceGraduate Program. Take the lead in a data-driven world.
wpi.edu/+datascience
Celtics’ Tanking Plans Disrupted by Struggling Eastern Conference
Sports Co-Editor
With the arrival of new head coach Brad Stevens and the trade of Celtics star players Kevin Gar-nett and Paul Pierce over the sum-mer, Celtics fans have anticipated a rebuilding stage for the team. Rath-er than win games, most Celtics fans hope to see the team continue to lose or “tank” the season, and acquire college players in the antic-ipated 2014 draft, like University of Kansas phenom Andrew Wig-gins. But there’s been a problem the Celtics did not anticipate; the Eastern Conference is pathetic. The Celtics’ record, with their loss by seven points to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, November 30 remains at 7-12. Yet, unbelievably, the Celtics remain only half a game behind the Atlantic Division leader, the Toronto Raptors, who are 6-10. To round out the rest of the At-lantic Division are the Philadelphia
76ers (6-12), Brooklyn Nets (5-12) and the New York Knicks (3-13). So while it seems some of the Eastern Conference is struggling, the Indiana Pacers are off to a strong start (16-2) followed by the reigning NBA champion Mi-ami Heat (13-3). The Washington Wizards are a respectable .500 (9-9), but after that the conference is up for grabs with Atlanta (9-10), Chicago (7-9), Charlotte (8-10), Detroit (7-10), and Toronto (6-10) rounding out the last spots that, at the moment, make up the eight teams in the playoff run. While the eighth spot in the Eastern Confer-ence is a record of 6-10, the West-ern Conference is considerably more competitive, with the Gold-en State Warriors currently in the eighth spot with a record of 10-8. The New York Knicks con-tinue to struggle, having lost nine straight games, and the Brooklyn
to believe Paul Pierce and Kevin
Garnett left the Boston Celtics, intending not to be part of the
Nets with a worse record than the Celtics. And the Chicago Bulls re-
ceived the worst news with Derrick Rose’s meniscus tear in his right
knee that required season ending surgery (keep in mind Rose missed the entire season last year due to ACL surgery on his other knee). There still remains a lot of bas-ketball to be played the rest of the season. Yet, it seems hard to be-lieve that the Celtics are only half a game out of the last playoff spot. Several Celtics players showed promise in the dominating win over the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-86 on Friday, November 29. Jeff Green led Boston with 31 points.
pointer in his eight year career as the third quarter came to an end. In addition, Jordan Crawford has done
do, who has yet to return to play after having knee surgery last sea-son. Crawford tallied a triple dou-ble, posting 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. In addition, Avery
Celtics defense played strong, es-
pecially early on in the game which led to their lead for much of the game, allowing the Cavs only 10
ney Lee did not play in the game due to a sprained right knee and is listed as day-to-day. Kelly Olynyk
due to an ankle strain, but will hopefully be back within the next week or so. The Celtics will play several teams with losing records in the next few weeks, including the struggling Knicks twice (De-cember 8 and 13) as well as a game against Kevin Garnett and the Brooklyn Nets on December 10 (Pierce will miss two to four weeks due to a broken bone in his right hand). The Celtics will also have a meeting the following day against Doc Rivers and the impressive Los Angeles Clippers. Most Celt-ics fans wouldn’t mind seeing the Celtics lose a few more games, but it seems like most of the East-ern Conference is doing that, too.
Pete’s Picks#17 Oklahoma @ #6 Oklahoma State
Fordham @ Towson#25 Texas @ #9 Baylor
#5 Missouri vs. #3 Auburn#7 Stanford @ #11 Arizona State
#20 Duke vs. #1 Florida State#2 Ohio State vs. #10 Michigan State
Courtesy of Wikipedia.org
the Boston Celtics are once again near the top of the Atlantic Division.
16 !e Crusader SPORTS December 6, 2013
Purple Pennings with Andrew Fanikos
Men’s Basketball: December 16 vs. Canisius @ 7 PM
January 5 vs. American @ 1 PMJanuary 18 vs. Lehigh @ 4 PM
Women’s Basketball: December 18 vs. Quinnipiac @ 11:30 AMJanuary 2 vs. Boston University @ 7 PM
January 15 vs. Army @ 7 PM
Men’s Ice Hockey: January 3 vs. Canisius @ 7 PMJanuary 4 vs. Canisius @ 3 PM
January 10 vs. Mercyhurst @ 7 PMJanuary 11 vs. Mercyhurst @ 7 PM
Women’s Ice Hockey: January 14 vs. Sacred Heart @ 7 PM
It is hard to believe that the se-mester is winding down. Or per-haps winding up depending upon whom one asks, with mountains of reading, a plethora of papers to write, and exams to suffer through. Well at least we have a reading pe-riod? Oh wait, what’s that you say, we don’t? Gee, thanks a bunch Holy Cross! Given the stresses at the end of the semester, this scribe came dangerously close to simply
our most beloved school newspa-per, the venerable Toma-, um, er Crusader. Luckily, feeling some-what sentimental this was not the
As this is my last Purple Pennings forever, I’ll have to make all of my wayward predictions right now. I apologize. NAHT. So please, bear with me for a momentito por favor. Auburn will sneak into the BCS Title Game (Sorry Urban Mey-er, two wins over ranked team are not enough to play with the big boys) and will defeat Flori-da State. Speaking of football, the Seattle Seahawks will win the Super Bowl. I kid you not. This team is the real deal and the most
complete team in the NFL. Their dismantlement of the Saints on
Tom Izzo will cut down the nets in April, as Michigan State wins its third National Champi-onship, and its second during the Izzo era. The LA Kings will bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup for the Second time in three years, prov-ing that goaltending and defense win championships. The Miami Heat will win yet another title, proving that basketball teams should not bother aiming for the stars without the stars themselves. Perhaps too young this past year, the Cards will get over the hump and raise another World Series banner in St. Louis. Mean-while, atop Mount Saint James the men’s soccer team will ad-vance to the NCAA Tournament, as winners of the Patriot League,
Fantasy Football. In the words of Forrest Gump, “that’s all I have to say about that.” The men’s hockey team had a huge win against the 7th ranked Eagles of Boston College on Fri-day evening. The victory was the
-lege, and could not have come at
due in large part to a brutal opening schedule. Outgunning the Eagles with three-goal second period out-
weathered a third period storm to secure the win and hopefully some much needed momentum for the team. Make sure you make it up to the Hart Center either this Fri-day or Saturday (or both) as the team looks to battle with confer-ence rival Air Force at 7:00 sharp. Gotta love how Antonio Smith is “suspicious” of the Patriots after they supposedly knew the plays the Texans were going to call before they called them. Of course Bill Bellyacher has been spying on other teams, come on! This guy would sell his mother and your mother if it meant a win. Both the women and men’s bas-ketball teams added wins to their
-pus continued to stuff their faces with turkey. Led by sophomore guard Raquel Scott, who notched 36 points in two games, the wom-en’s team dispatched both UMASS
and Manhattan College. Improving to 5-0, this team is clearly “catching
Perhaps it is time to start expect-ing big things out of this team. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team improved to 4-3 with a win on the road against the Wildcats of UNH. Freshman guard An-thony Thomas and senior forward Dave Dudzinski led the team with 17 points each, while sophomore guard Eric Green chipped in for nine. After falling to a very good Harvard squad to begin the sea-son, the Crusaders have gone 3-2, holding their own against some of the better talent in the country. Either way you slice it, there will be plenty of unhappy faces come next Sunday, thanks to the ev-er-fair BCS. With one loss apiece, Ohio State, Auburn, Missouri or Michigan State could all be sore-ly disappointed on Sunday. One of these teams will go home. The BCS better hope that Florida State will be able to take care of busi-ness on Saturday against Duke or it will have a real mess on its hands. Can’t believe Family Guy killed Brian. That Seth McFarlane. How
dare he. Let us all be angry with this instead of all of the tasteless
yes, but also hiLARIOUS. That was not a typo, but a shout-out to an old pal. Extra bonus points for guessing correctly who that may be. But seriously, Brian’s de-mise is rather bemusing. Like, he’s not even on The Walking Dead. Also, have to love A-Rod’s show me the money approach to the al-legations made against him by Ma-
professional athlete denied his use of PEDs with as much vigor since ole Lance Armstrong. At the very least, it makes for interesting cable. Unfortunately, I do not yet own a car. I can, however, assure you, much like Messrs. Andy, Jorma, and Akiva, that it would smell of
Well that’s about it. I would say until next time, but there sadly (sadly?) there will not be a “next time.” Instead, I wish you
holiday season! And remember, when I say sports, you say nutz.
We Like Sports and We Don’t Care Who KnowsA Critical Analysis from Shooting Hoops to the Super Bowl
Going to be near Holy Cross over the Break? Support the Crusaders in the following home
games!
