Izzi Lambrecht ’19
“You are undeniably changing the city.” “Who do we do this for!?” “For the kids! For the kids! For the kids!” They continue to chant for another two minutes or so. Next comes the speech about how significant this work is for the city and how important the volunteers are. “You are really making a difference today!” says State Representative Dan Donahue, a Holy Cross alum.
This rhetoric will persuade businesses to donate money. It will motivate otherwise apathetic volunteers to commit a few hours of their Saturday. It will create compelling PR on the College’s instagram. It’s rhetoric that I know is meant to be harmless… perhaps, even inspiring. But, on the flip side, this rhetoric reeks of classism and the savior complex that are so prevalent at Holy Cross.
Last fall, while leading the Worcester immersion trip, the city manager and his special assistant highlighted these very themes as central problems to Holy Cross’ relationship with Worcester. They had named volunteer campus organizations as a clear way that the school does meaningful work, yet falls short. I had quickly nodded along, agreeing with both of them. As the SPUD Community Organizing Intern, I continued to be engaged in conversations with students and staff to discuss students’ perceptions of the city and the tensions of volunteer work. Standing at Working for Worcester, with hundreds of volunteers surrounding me, chanting these three words, I was shocked to realize that the problems with the rhetoric used were not obvious to leaders, site directors, and many of the event’s volunteers. As I said before, this chant did not stand alone. Interspersed in the chanting were speakers reminding us that we are changing the city…. that it is time to give back…. that we cannot even imagine how many people’s lives we are transforming.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe in volunteer work. In fact, I believe in a day such as Working for Worcester where we have the opportunity to celebrate the city and add to its richness through a day of fellowship and of making ourselves useful. For these reasons, I agreed to be a site manager. That said, standing in the Worcester Common, with my stomach churning at the speeches, I knew that I simply did not believe in the rhetoric that shaped Working for Worcester this year.
I understand that W4W objectively focuses on sites where kids work and play; however, I think it would be worthwhile for the program to consider how they can pitch the event in a way that truly does embrace Worcester, and that veers away from savior language. In the ‘for the kids’ rhetoric, we imply that parents are not able to take care of their own kids. We imply that they are not taking care of their kids’ space. We imply that the kids of Worcester need us college students to change the city. In each, we humiliate, and take dignity from the people of our supposed community.
Again, though this event does objectively focus on youth spaces, rhetoric such as this makes it seem that the only thing in Worcester worthy of our attention is the kids. Every single Holy Cross student who volunteered at W4W has lived in Worcester for at least a year. The co-chairs have lived here for four years. I was ashamed to be standing at the event in a red, site director shirt being expected to find the ‘for the kids’ to be inspiring. I was ashamed to be a “leader” at an event that appeared to be about saving the kids of the city that I love so much.
The rhetoric used, and the ways it focused on transforming and changing suggests that Worcester is dependent on us. Moreover, it is the epitome of the very themes that the people and the government of Worcester are critical of in regards to Holy Cross. It is demonstrative of the fact that many Holy Cross students only seem to engage with our city when they are saving. It suggests that not only are we geographically situated above Worcester, but many volunteers and student leaders appear to believe that we are in fact above it and its residents. Adding on to all this, for those volunteers who have not had the opportunity to get to know Worcester, the rhetoric I have described legitimizes patronizing language towards our community.
Worcester is a city with vibrant culture, beautiful art, opportunities to meet new people, parks to run in, music to vibe with, and local shops and cafes to relax in. Are there struggles present in Worcester? Of course. Among other issues, there exists poverty, inequality, an opioid epidemic, and homelessness. However, not one of these issues are exceptional to Worcester. I would love to see volunteers, student leaders, and the College choosing to embrace Worcester for all of its goodness along with its suffering. I would love to see us treating it as our community that we value, instead of our thing to fix. And ultimately, rather than being a way to save and to change while collecting the ‘perfect’ social media post and resume boost, I would love to see time off campus in Worcester become an opportunity to truly engage with the city we ought to all love. Changing the perceptions of Worcester will be no easy task on our Holy Cross campus, which is why it is of the utmost importance that leaders involved in the city (W4W, SPUD, CBL, SGA, and AIP) step up, engage with the depths of our community, practice intentionality, and commit to paving the way forward.
It is about time that we, as people for and with others, do better, Holy Cross.
The Spire 
I also grew up as an underprivileged Worcester youth and now go to Holy Cross and I don’t think the statement that the rhetoric implies worcester cant take care of itself is too harsh at all. I know I have privilege being here, but I cant stand how people treat the community. Its good yall are sharing your wealth with Worcester and obviously the power dichotomy will never fully go away, but I wish people could do that work in a more empathetic way. I know for a fact that my mom feels so much shame because of HC and the way people talk about Worcester. Not saying that can be inferred to all moms but even just one persons feelings should be enough for volunteers to stop and think for a second. With all respect for the persons opinion above mine, I think you made a good decision not staying quiet and not just “playing the game”. If you dont agree with the game, why should you just be quiet? My guess is this is what many have done before you, which is probably why ive never heard anybody think about the flaws of W4W until now. Not saying everything is fixed or that everybody needs to fully agree with your article, but its about time people have a reality check that their work isnt perfect. Hopefully this will help reshape their identities….after all, isnt that what a jesuit education is all about?
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As an underprivileged, and youth of this community. I will say that I can agree. I do feel relieved to hear this, but I can take many forms of support towards W4W as well. W4W is something I really wanted to contribute to. I live near Holy Cross, and I will say that the engagement in my community is lacking. I do spend an abundance of time in heavily diverse environments, and on the Clark University campus. By diverse I mean the privileged white male, pretentious liberals etc. At times I lay jealous. What I observe, and what is available to us students are much more accessible… not at Holy Cross.
You say that the rhetoric implies that the community of Worcester can not take care of its youth. I think that’s a bit excessive to say. I can examine the attitudes of many Worcester locals and students from a fairly powerless position. I think you are ignoring many layers of privilege that still exist, and will forlong exist.
The attitude of a “resume booster” will always be existing in the contexts of our society & government. This is a reflection of privilege and education. In community high schools this exist too. There is just a general disinterest, and selfishness that exists. It promotes a lack of civic interest.
This so called “savior” attitude can’t really exist in those who have the driven power to make change, yes? W4W is fairly small, and newer. Where else do we see action? Let’s not target this W4W initiative, but rather a general attitude that has much deeper roots. I think you take an outlook of morality rather than action, and are undermining the education as well as success that many have worked for. Colleges are places to grow, too.
To me this is an extension of that Holy Cross attitude. It’s sort of pessimistic besides that. We will need to collaborate with each other. And we will need to learn from each other. I feel like this opinion denies that a bit; as if this lack of engagement in Worcester among Holy Cross students is only their faults. This cycle will continue on for years. Yet, we really can’t control the futility, and helplessness we can face with the troubles of another person
Not only for I think that the building of playgrounds does not really concern Worcester as a place, but also as a changing dynamic in our society as a whole. I just want to desperately separate this from W4W. I think you should be apart of a greater change rather than try to argue against this much smaller & honestly positive portion of it. If you want change… play by the game. It’s not easy to strip people of their identities. There isn’t always much wrong with it, for there is ignorance. If people act with ignorance there is not much to criticize rather than pity. Although, its hella annoying.
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