Stacey Kaliabakos ‘23

Features Editor

History on the Hill is the Holy Cross History Department’s student-led newsletter. Its two co-editors, Holly and Ryan, are both good friends of mine, and it’s exciting to see that they are wrapping up the second ever publication of the newsletter in the next few weeks. Holly Tente ‘23 is a history major, admissions tour guide, and a current PBS intern (see this article for more). Ryan Wynn ‘23 is a history and classics double major, a member of MID, and an editorial board member of The Parnassus Classical Journal. These two students have also been involved with coordinating the Good Trouble Series, which has encouraged productive conversations about race and racism among Holy Cross students and faculty. The next issue of History on the Hill is set to address some of these important discussions.

When I asked the co-editors what drew them to getting involved with and leading the publication of this newsletter, both students gave passionate and genuine explanations.

Holly: Professor Attreed was my Professor for HIST 110: Rome and the Republic during my fall semester freshman year. Upon entering her class, I expressed my passion for history often with her during office hours. Around the same time, Professor Rupakheti put out a notice for all history Professors to recommend freshman students to join the first ever editorial board for History on the Hill. Professor Attreed reached out to gauge my interest, and I joined immediately. I started out as a contributor and assistant editor, and now I work with Ryan as a co-editor.

Ryan: I had Professor Rupakheti for my Montserrat course De-colonizing India/Visions of Justice. Based on my early interest in History and writing in his class, he talked to me during the fall semester of my first year and encouraged me to join the newsletter team. I was elated with the opportunity to participate on a team that was passionate about History and to improve my writing skills.

The editorial board of History on the Hill works with Professor Sanjog Rupakheti as their advisor. The goal of the newsletter is to craft various articles that highlight the achievements of the History Department while connecting history to contemporary issues. The topics being emphasized in the upcoming issue are Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, and the Presidential Election. Ryan and Holly said, “Obviously, this year has had several key stories and events having to do with a range of issues, but we decided to focus this edition around what has had a crucial impact on the country and the Holy Cross community alike. Each section includes collaboration with a range of students to help create an all-inclusive narrative about the events faced this year. However, next semester, we will be returning to our former issue’s article topics as well as new ideas.”

Of course, being virtual this semester can make collaborations on significant projects such as History on the Hill difficult. However, since last semester’s newsletter ended up switching to sudden virtual production, the co-editors went into this issue knowing what to expect. In any case, both students learned a lot from their experiences, such as taking on a significant leadership role, being unafraid to express ideas, and honing their writing skills.

History on the Hill is set to be published and distributed virtually to the History Department and all History majors on Wednesday, December 30th. Be sure to reach out to historyonthehillhc@gmail.com if you’d like to read the final copy of the newsletter!