Category: News
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President Rougeau Speaks on Plans for New Residence Hall, Meeting the Pope, and Renowned Authors Joining the English Department
Kate Santini ’27 and Amelia Ciarleglio ’27 Co-Editors-in-Chief Each month, The Spire has the opportunity to sit down with College of the Holy Cross President Vincent Rougeau to discuss any major changes and popular topics on campus. Like students who have finally had the chance to settle into their classes…
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Holy Cross Contingent Faculty Look to Other Jesuit Institutions for Change
Charlotte Kerrigan ’29 News Editor At the College of the Holy Cross, more than a third of our staff are contingent faculty and teach about 40% of courses every semester. Being contingent faculty means professors are often on year-to-year contracts with nonrenewal after 5 years, leading to job insecurity. In…
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Final Job Report Ahead of the Midterms
Ashley Stracco ‘28 Staff Writer Recently, a major political fight has centered on the true health of the American economy. This issue is usually one that is highly debated, but it is especially rough leading up to the November 2026 midterm elections, as the Labor Department’s final pre-election job report…
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SGA Election Results Announce New Student Leaders
Katherine Twombly ‘30 Staff Writer The results for this year’s Student Government elections were released on Wednesday, Sept. 20. For the Class of 2027, the President is Fiona Gawne, the Vice President is Dominika Chmielewski, and the Senator is Will Woodruff. The Class of 2028 Treasurer is Noah Smith, and…
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Cornell Seven Sparks National Conversation: Holy Cross Responds
Kaitlyn Richards ‘29 Chief News Editor A sexual assault lawsuit involving Cornell University has sparked a national conversation about sexual violence on college campuses. The case centers on a former Cornell student, anonymous plaintiff “Jane Doe,” who filed a lawsuit against the Cornell Chi Phi fraternity and seven former fraternity…
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Worcester Doubles Down on Optiline Ban
Brigid O’Malley ‘29 News Editor A developer’s use of Optiline Enterprises as a contractor on a 364-unit housing project on Franklin Street has caused labor union concerns and questions about the company’s work on projects with tax-exempt status. The project’s developers participate in the city’s Economic Development Incentive Program, which…
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Your Vote, Your Voice: SGA Elections Began Sept. 28
MacKenzie Lockhart ‘30 Staff Writer SGA elections are approaching, with students set to vote for their class representatives beginning on Monday, Sept. 28. Candidates have been campaigning through social media, posters, emails, and campus events, all in preparation for the upcoming election. The Student Government Association (SGA) serves as the…
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A Historic Ranking: Holy Cross Hits No. 22 Among Liberal Arts Colleges
Kaitlyn Richards ‘29 Chief News Editor On Sept. 22, 2026, the U.S. News & World Report released its 2027 list of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. Holy Cross made history on the list of best liberal arts colleges in the country, ranking No. 22 – the highest…
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Press, Partisanship, and Democracy
Katherine Twombly ‘30 Staff Writer On Friday, Sept. 18th, President Trump announced via a Truth Social post that he was immediately banning any reporters affiliated with CNN, Politico, or MS NOW from the White House. He cited their intentions to report fake news that gave deliberately negative coverage of him…
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Prevent the Spread: HC Health Services Holds Annual Vaccine Clinic
Olivia Zimmerman ‘29 Staff Writer And here we are, once again. The infamous “cold” season, where viruses are running rampant around campus. Already, people are experiencing sickness, and the school year has just begun. It is inevitable that sickness will spread at a rapid pace as the days get colder.…
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America’s Political Battle Along Its Northern Border
Drew Butler ‘29 Staff Writer In recent times, much of American politics and news coverage has been focused on America’s Southern border, primarily driven by the issue of immigration. However, two unique political battles are brewing to the north of Holy Cross: contentious United States Senate elections in New Hampshire…
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Creating a Safer Campus: The 2026 Bringing in the Bystander Training
Charlotte Kerrigan ‘29 Staff Writer This month, freshmen at Holy Cross have been completing the Bringing in the Bystander training. These training sessions are led by fellow students who are Relationship Peer Educators (RPE), facilitating important conversations on what it means to be a bystander and what to do if…
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Dinner, Dialogue, and Democracy
Katherine Twombly ‘30 Staff Writer On Wednesday, September 16, the SPEECH Peer Educators group hosted their second dialogue dinner of the academic year titled: What are the promises and responsibilities of democracy? The theme of this dinner was chosen because it was occurring during Constitution Week, which this year also…
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An Investment for the Future: Stephen P. Skinner ’77 Makes $10 Million Gift to Holy Cross
Kaitlyn Richards ‘29 Chief News Editor The College of the Holy Cross has received a $10 million gift from alumnus Stephen P. Skinner, one of the largest gifts in the College’s recent history, to support endowed professorships and student scholarships. The gift, announced by the College on Monday, Sept. 14,…
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The NIH Funding Fight: The Battle Between the White House and Congress Over Medical Research Ahead of the Midterms
Ashley Stracco ‘28 Staff Writer Recently, there has been a dispute over federal health research money after Budget Chief Russ Vought drafted an executive order to create a political board that decides which grants the National Institutes of Health (NIH) can fund. This action has prompted debate as the country…
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Live Like Dom: Remembering the Ultimate Team Player Dominick Tocci ‘27
Michael Collins ‘27 Staff Writer There will be a sizable hole on our campus this year for my six roommates and I. We will be missing the rambunctious energy and confidence of our roommate and friend, Dominick Tocci ’27. Look no further than the impact Dom had on the people…
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Global Opportunities: Study Abroad and Maymester Application Officially Open
Kaitlyn Richards ‘29 Chief News Editor Students in the Holy Cross Class of 2029 can officially commence planning their international academic adventures as applications for the College’s study abroad program opened on September 15th Sophomores interested in studying abroad have until November 30th to submit their applications, giving them ample…
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The Road to the Midterms: 46 Days Out
Drew Butler ‘29 Staff Writer With the primary season concluded, all eyes are now on the November midterm elections. In just 46 days, Americans will head to the polls and cast their ballots for congressional and statewide races. All 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 Senate seats are up…
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CCD Hosts Annual Career Fest
Brigid O’Malley ‘29 News Editor Students were introduced to career resources, personal exploration opportunities, and professional development tools at the Center for Career Development’s Career Fest on Monday, Sept. 14, on the Hoval. The afternoon event introduced all students to the CCD’s career resources, including career exploration, resume building, networking,…
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The Midterm Healthcare Battle
Ashley Stracco ‘28 Staff Writer Recently, President Donald Trump has announced a colossal healthcare intervention in which he has ordered the federal government to send $500 in insurance rebates to nearly 1 million Americans. This sudden action has sparked much controversy as the country heads into the November 2026…
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Welcome to “My House”: Flo Rida Headlines Holy Cross Fall Concert
Kaitlyn Richards ‘29 Chief News Editor On Friday, Sept. 6, the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) announced in a video with President Vincent Rougeau, the 2026 Fall concert at Holy Cross. The event, a new, highly anticipated fall-semester tradition at the College, is expected to draw a large crowd of…
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Political Analysis: Kalshi and the Growing Debate over Congressional Betting
Ashley Stracco ‘28 Staff Writer Recently, there has been a massive rise in political prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket in which citizens can bet money on both election outcomes and legislative votes. There has been controversy over whether legislators should be able to place bets on these entities, as…
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The Race to Capital Hill: The Bay State’s Ballots Set for November Election
Drew Butler ‘29 Staff Writer With autumn quickly approaching and Labor Day in the rearview mirror, the traditional start of election season has begun. On Sept. 1, 2026, Massachusetts primary voters headed to the polls to select their parties’ nominees for the Nov. 3 general election. Voters nominated candidates for…
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Holy Cross Ranked No. 45 in TIME Magazine’s List of America’s Best Colleges
Kaitlyn Richards ‘29 Chief News Editor The College of the Holy Cross has been ranked No. 45 in TIME Magazine’s 2026-2027 list of America’s Best Colleges, placing it among the top 50 academic institutions in the nation. Published on August 25, the ranking was created by TIME in partnership with…
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Anna Maria College Set to Close Spring 2026
Brigid O’Malley ’29 Staff Writer Anna Maria College, a small Catholic liberal arts institution in Paxton, will close permanently at the end of the Spring 2026 semester, marking the end of nearly 80 years of operation. The college cited long-standing financial challenges as the primary reason for its closure. In…
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Advocating for Student Interest in Asia (ASIA) Hosts Annual ExplorASIAn Extravaganza
Kate Santini ‘27 News Editor The student-run organization, Advocating for Student Interest in Asia, otherwise known as ASIA, hosted a night of dinner, activities, and performances on Saturday, April 25. With a wide array of students and family members in attendance, the ASIA executive board brought traditions from across the…
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Justice for Contingents Movement Calls Upon Administration for a Response
Lizzie Swanson ‘28 Chief News Editor On Tuesday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m., 12 faculty members of the Holy Cross community gathered in Stein 132 in support of the Justice for Contingents campaign. This group met to hopefully voice their concerns towards the administration and gather in support of one…
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Spring Traditions: The 2026 CAB Spring Concert
Kaitlyn Richards ’29 News Editor The College’s annual Spring Concert is set to return in full force, with group Hot Chelle Rae selected as the opening act and the chart-topping pop artist Daya announced as this year’s headliner. The event, one of the most highly anticipated traditions of the spring…
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From Poster to Performances: Holy Cross Celebrates the 2026 Academic Conference
Kaitlyn Richards ‘29 News Editor The College of the Holy Cross will highlight the depth and diversity of its students’ achievements during its annual Academic Conference, taking place across campus from April 21 to 24, 2026. The multi-day event transforms the campus into a dynamic forum of innovative research, where…
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Working for Worcester Holds 14th Annual Build Day
Ray Borawski ’28 Staff Writer This past Saturday, hundreds of volunteers from Holy Cross and other organizations and schools gathered in Worcester Common for Working for Worcester’s 14th annual build day. Within an hour, 16 sites throughout Worcester filled with volunteers in matching white shirts, all of whom had the…