Month: December 2021
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You May Not Be Merry or Bright This Holiday Season‒And That’s Okay
Martha Wyatt-Luth ‘25 Opinions Editor If there is one thing we can all agree upon, it’s that this year has been far from easy. The global pandemic, natural disasters, and not to mention the countless personal challenges we face every day, are some of the countless burdens on our backs.…
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What’s the Rush?
By Stacey Kaliabakos ‘23 Opinions Editor Every year, as far back as I can remember, my family and I have spent the day after Thanksgiving decorating our house for Christmas. We take turns placing ornaments (many of which hold special memories for us) on the tree while listening to Christmas…
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If Someone Buys You a Book For the Holidays—Read It
Juan Trillo ‘25 Staff Writer One of my favorite pastimes on Christmas Eve was shaking up my presents to see what was inside. And every Christmas morning I would realize what a poor guesser I was. One of the items I least expected, however, was books. Somehow though, I ended…
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Why I Hated Taylor Swift
Caroline Muniz ’23 Features Editor I am a big Taylor Swift fan…now. My desire to write about her comes from a place of love and admiration for her music and career. However, this was not always the case. I remember that I liked a few of her songs and I…
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Where are the Masks?
Stacey Kaliabakos ‘23 Opinions Editor At the beginning of the semester, the College of the Holy Cross implemented a mask mandate that required students, faculty, and staff to wear a mask indoors. The administration said that this mandate would be in effect until Sept. 10, when test results and statistics…
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Alexander Hamilton Society: More Than Just a Club
By Monica Regan ’23 Guest Writer When a College of the Holy Cross student thinks of internships, the Career Center, Career Fairs, and Handshake come to mind. However, student organizations on campus also serve as a unique way to network, cultivate your interests, and surround yourself with people who will…
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In response to “Decolonizing the Curriculum: The Problem of Underrepresentation in the Humanities”
Sahar Bazzaz Professor and Chair, Department of History Recently, The Spire published an article entitled “Decolonizing the Curriculum: The Problem of Underrepresentation in the Humanities (10/8/2021),” which took up very important and timely questions about under-representation of diverse perspectives and voices in the humanities. As the new history department chair,…
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Wagstaff Announced as New Vice Provost of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Joey Abrams ‘23 News Editor Over the past few years, the Holy Cross administration and Board of Trustees have ushered in a round of new initiatives to support diversity and inclusion on campus. With a student population that is over 30 percent non-white, complimented by a non-white 36 percent of…
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Thank You and Happy Holidays
Grace Bromage ‘23 Editor-in-Chief As we publish our final issue of the Fall 2021 semester, it is time to thank everyone who has contributed to our success. I would first like to thank all of our amazing editors and chief editors. Each week, I have been so impressed by the…
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Dean Murray’s December Forum on Mental Health
Nathan Howard ’25 News Editor On Thursday, Dec. 2, Michele Murray, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, held a communicative forum that allowed for faculty, staff, and students to connect and inform one another about mental health and stress reduction exercises. Staff members Paul Galvinhill and Adriana…
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Dr. Sandro Galea Discusses Mitigation for the Next Pandemic
Danielle Dentremont ‘25 Staff Writer On Wednesday Nov. 15, Dr. Sandro Galea visited the Rehm Library to discuss the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and how they can be applied in mitigating the next pandemic. Galea is a physician, author and professor and dean at Boston University School of…
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Accessibility at Holy Cross
Alyssa Cabrera ‘25, Tess Conroy ‘22, Kathleen Miller ‘22, Sam Poyant ‘23, Hannah Walsh ‘22 Recently, there have been a few articles in “The Spire” addressing accessibility at College of the Holy Cross. It is no secret that the campus is physically challenging to navigate due to its location on…
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The End
Julianna Mariani ‘24 A Not So Relieved Chief Well folks, it’s the final issue of “The Spire” for this semester. It’s certainly been a whirlwind, but it’s definitely bittersweet. I’ll miss writing this column every week. That’s really what it is, isn’t it? A column where I update you all…
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Birdz
By: Mario Micallef [Monday, 8:32 a.m., Worcester Massachusetts, 42 degrees with a thick stagnant haze over the College of the Holy Cross campus. A large flock of crows lands on the south ledge of the Fenwick spire and some perch on the sun-roof of the adjacent building, Smith Hall. The…
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Aftercare in the Wake of a School Shooting
Anna Lee ‘23 Opinions Editor **TW: gun violence, suicide, mental health NEWTON, Conn. — 20 year old Adam Lamza took the lives of 20 first-graders and six school employees before turning the gun on himself at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Seven years later, the father of a Sandy Hook victim…
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How to Have Fun in Kimball
Michael Vail ‘24 Protector of Your Sanity in These Trying Times It’s almost finals week. A tough time for everyone, indeed. Enough of the introduction, though. Let’s get to why we’re really here: to explore the endless possibilities Kimball offers that you haven’t been able to comprehend yet. That’s why…
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Holy Cross Should Have More Gluten Free Dining Options
Julia Maher ‘23 Chief Opinions Editor College of the Holy Cross has a great allergy program, which allows students to preorder food that accommodates their food allergies. There are many gluten free options, which provide students with celiac disease or a wheat allergy gluten free foods to eat. But there…
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Dancing for a Good Cause: 2021 Dance Marathon!
Caroline Muniz ‘23 Features Editor On Friday December 3rd, Holy Cross held its annual Dance Marathon. It is an event in which students dance all night long to “take a stand” against pediatric AIDS. All the proceeds are donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation. By taking a stand, dancers stood…
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Students Reflect on Christmas
Owen Whaley ‘24Features Editor “I love the Christmas season, and I’m so excited to spend time with my family and friends over Christmas break. I went home on Friday and helped my family decorate the Christmas tree, which is always such a joy. I also plan to attend Lessons & Carols…
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Crusader of the Week: Sabrina Ramos ‘22
Name: Sabrina Ramos Year: 2022 Hometown: Milford, MA Major: Psychology Campus Activities: Club Volleyball, Working for Worcester Favorite Movie: Mama Mia Favorite Song: All Too Well (10 Minute Version) by Taylor Swift Favorite Singer/Group: Machine Gun Kelly Favorite Color: Pink Favorite Sports Team: The Red Sox Favorite Class taken at Holy Cross: Psych:…
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Lessons & Carols: An Interview with Soprano Natasha Rollo ‘23 and Clarinet Player Kathleen Segal ‘23
Nicole Letendre ’23 Chief Features Editor The holiday season is here, and Holy Cross’ various choirs and instrumental ensembles are gearing up for their annual celebration of Lessons & Carols, held in St. Joseph Memorial Chapel on Thursday, December 9 at 8pm. Lessons & Carols is a performance of various Christmas…
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How Films are Rewriting History
Written by Martha Wyatt-Luth Opinion’s Editor ‘25 Over Thanksgiving Break, I re-watched several movies with my family. One notable film was Argo, Ben Affleck’s thrilling exposition of the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979. Besides the star-studded cast and phenomenal production, the film lingered in my memory for another reason. Like…
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Why Liberal Arts Colleges and Humanities Majors Are Valuable
Julia Maher ’23 Chief Opinions Editor One thing that impressed me about Holy Cross during my college search was its personalized liberal arts curriculum. I wanted to keep my options open rather than attend a college that boxed students into majors very early on and did not encourage exploration of…
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Why You Should Care About the Texas Heart Beat Act
Sheba Austin ‘22, Ashley Cunningham ‘22, Nick Hale ‘23, Zoé Petit ‘22, & Sofia Smithson ‘23 Respectful. Leaders. Passionate. Teachers. Learners. These are words that are often used to describe Holy Cross Students. In the College’s Mission Statement, it states that we strive to be patient with uncertainty, we must…
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A National Day of Mourning: A Post-Thanksgiving Reflection
Anna Lee ‘24 Opinions Editor This past Thursday, my family and I gathered around the table for our annual overcooked turkey and a hodgepodge of 1970s side dishes. There was the usual drama – political debates, side glances across the red tablecloth, some good smells and some burnt ones. But…
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President Rougeau Leads Discussion: What has American politics done to the Catholic Church?
Nathan Howard ’25 News Editor On November 16, 2021, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics, and Culture hosted Holy Cross President Vincent Rougeau, who led a conversation with conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat and liberal Commonweal Magazine editor Matthew Sitman. The conversation largely addressed the growing political divide…
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Faculty and Alumni Join Aspiring Students at 2021 Women in Business Conference
Joseph Abrams ’23 News Editor Faculty and alumni made their way to campus last month for this year’s Women in Business Conference- a day of workshops and talks instated by the Women in Business Club 16 years ago. Aspiring women at the college from a range of different departments- including…
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Ben Vesey ‘22 Speaks about Vannicelli Award
Brendan Bonner ‘23 News Editor On November 18, Ben Vesey ‘22 spoke about his Vannicelli Award winning thesis developed over his time in D.C during this past year’s Washington Semester. The talk was titled: “Combating Forced Labor Internationally: A Case Study of Labor Reforms in the Uzbekistan Cotton Sector”. The…
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Lindon Lane Lights Up with Christmas Joy!
Caroline Muniz ‘23 Features Editor On December 1st, Holy Cross had their annual Christmas tree lighting sponsored by the Purple Key Society. After two years, Crusaders were able to fully experience the tradition that is the lighting of the Christmas trees and manger in front of O’Kane. The last tree lighting…
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Interview with RPE Member: Jane Chavez ‘23
Caroline Wallace ‘23 Features Editor Jane Chavez ‘23 is a junior psychology major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She also happens to be involved with the student organization on campus known as “RPE.” “RPE stands for Relationship Peer Educators,” stated Chavez, and “it is a peer education group on campus that implements sexual…