Will McHale ’26
Chief Features Editor
Image courtesy of Alpha Sigma Nu
Amidst the festivities of Family Weekend, students and parents gathered in Rehm Library on Sunday, September 22 to celebrate the induction of new members into Holy Cross’ Alpha Sigma Nu chapter. The inductees for this year included The Spire’s own Nathan Howard, Ben Lepper, & Alexandra Berardelli.
Rehm Library was packed for the event, as 38 students and two professors were inducted into the prestigious honors society. Every seat was filled, and many family members stood to celebrate the accomplishments of the students.
Alpha Sigma Nu is unique among honors societies as it is the honors society of Jesuit institutions of higher education, and it is one of the highest honors that a Jesuit school can bestow on its students. The society was founded in 1915 at Marquette University, and Holy Cross’ chapter dates back to the 1940s. Alpha Sigma Nu seeks to honor students at Jesuit institutions who embody the principles of Scholarship, Loyalty, and Service during their education. Candidates for membership are selected from the top fifteen percent of their class, and only four percent of this group is ultimately admitted to the society. Speakers at the event said that the students were selected for their commitment to Ignation visions & values, and members are given the challenge of lifelong learning and service to others.
Professor Joshua Farrell, the faculty advisor for Alpha Sigma Nu, opened the ceremony before Sarah Petty, Dean of the Class of 2025, led a prayer for the inductees. The inductees went on to recite the pledge of Alpha Sigma Nu, centered around a promise to carry out the ideals of scholarship, loyalty, and service. The Provost then formally declared the inductees as members of Alpha Sigma Nu before each new member began to process up to receive a medal & pin.
While each member went up to accept their medal & pin, the speakers recited a few of the accomplishments of each new member, reflecting all of their hard work and achievements. The cohort of new members included students from all over the country, with many different majors & academic programs, as well as a truly impressive list of extracurricular activities, service work, and more. This showed just how accomplished this group of inductees are, and it displayed how each member utilized their own abilities in very unique ways.
In addition to the 38 students inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, two Holy Cross professors also received honorary inductions. This included Professor Neel Smith of the Classics department and Professor L. Gabriela Avila-Bront of Chemistry. Both of these professors are very accomplished and truly embodied the spirit of the Alpha Sigma Nu society.
After the inductees were all honored and applauded, Fr. Keith Maczkiewicz gave a poignant reflection about the loyalty pillar of Alpha Sigma Nu. He began by complimenting the accomplishments of the inductees and congratulated them before beginning to reflect on the past and the future. Fr. Maczkiewicz, who has worked in higher education for almost 20 years, highlighted the most common question that seniors are asked: “What are you doing next year?” He encouraged the students to live with great attentiveness to the ‘now’ as it can have significant implications for the ‘then.’ While describing his own journey after graduation, he emphasized how the circumstances of ‘now’ are always changing and how the plans that you have may differ from what ends up happening. He argued that the present and the future are related, and challenged the students to uncover their desires in the ‘now’ in order to become authentically themselves. Fr. Maczkiewicz acknowledged the work that is required to constantly self-reflect, but he assured the students that the present & the future can become one through this reflection on your desires. His reflection was very fitting for this group of seniors with very bright futures ahead of them, and he hoped that they will always desire to be for and with others in the spirit of Jesuit education.
The Alpha Sigma Nu induction concluded with a group picture of the new inductees and was followed by a reception in Hogan, allowing the new members to celebrate with their families & classmates. It was certainly a proud moment for members of the Class of 2025 & their families, and it will hopefully be followed by many other impressive accomplishments after they graduate.
Web Editor Zexuan Qu
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