Lizzie Swanson ‘28
News Editor
The winter solstice is a term used to describe the day which has the least amount of sunlight throughout the year. While these days usually fall sometime around Dec. 21, the early sunsets and chilling temperatures linger into late January and much of February. During these months, people (especially students) are more prone to increased levels of fatigue, depression, and irritability. During this time of such political and global division, these factors greatly add to the mental load students carry with them on a day to day basis.
On February 6th, Holy Cross’ President Vincent Rougeau sent out a school wide email titled “Remembering Our Identity Amid Uncertainty,” discussing recent governing decisions made by our nation. “I write with an understanding that optimism can be difficult to find during a time of extraordinary and abrupt change,” Rougeau writes in his second line. He goes on to say that our nation and community are facing challenges which question our security and safety. While Rougeau’s last email, which was sent out at the very beginning of the first semester, painted the future as optimistic and hopeful in wording and tone, this email works to both validate community member concerns and reaffirm the values of Holy Cross.
“At Holy Cross today, we hold firmly to our core values and the commitments we will not compromise. We’re a proud campus community and home to people of many faiths and beliefs, but we unite under our Jesuit Catholic mission and values. Our responsibility to justice means that we have a particular obligation to the poor, powerless, and marginalized. That includes questioning and working to change economic, social, and political structures that prevent people from accessing their basic needs and exclude them from full membership and participation in the life of the community.”
Rougeau continues to encourage students, faculty, and staff alike to come together to promote open dialogue and respectful discourse. Restating Holy Cross’ mission statement, the college values academic freedom, which allows for all viewpoints to be equally taken into consideration and heard. Following his email, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, Dottie Hauver, sent out an email relating to proposed policy and legal changes. In the email, she states that this past November, Holy Cross began an initiative which assigned a college leader to an issue that could either directly or indirectly affect the college. These leaders are “monitoring developments, assessing potential implications, and proposing strategies to address the challenges.” The six categories are as follows: financial, JEBI-related, international and immigration, operational and workforce, legal and compliance and reputational and strategic.
On February 10th, an informational session regarding this new initiative was held in an effort to help open up the floor to the rest of the Holy Cross community. Fielding any questions or concerns, the administration at Holy Cross has made it clear that any student wishing to discuss student well-being and safety should not hesitate to contact any administrative authority.
Copy Edited by Lily Wasmund ’27
Featured image courtesy of The Worcester Telegram
Leave a Reply