Monday Morning Update

November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving: By the time he celebrated the Alumni Mass of Thanksgiving yesterday, Alumni Chaplin Fr. Genaro Aguilar, C.S.C. had received almost 1,000 alumni Mass intention requests. Alumni send their intentions to him in the name of deceased loved ones and for family and friends dealing with personal challenges. Fr. Aguilar reads all the intentions and follows each one with prayer. He is touched that so many alumni seek prayers not for themselves, but for others. To learn more about this prayerful outreach, visit here.

Christmas: As Advent and Christmas approach, the pace of life quickens, leaving us with little time to appreciate the meaning of the season we celebrate. To address this issue, the Vice President for Mission Fr. Thomas Looney, C.S.C. has organized a program of daily Gospel reflections. Written by alumni, students, faculty, staff, and trustees, the reflections will provide opportunities for prayer and solitude as people open their hearts for the blessings of Christmas. Starting on Sunday, November 30th and running until Sunday, January 11th, read the reflections at www.stonehill.edu.

Europe and America: With polls showing that more than half of Americans know virtually nothing about the European Union, four top European diplomats were on campus last week to help rectify the information deficit. Representing France, Germany, Portugal, and Ireland, the diplomats gave students and faculty a Euro perspective on the financial crisis, transatlantic relations, nuclear issues, and, of course, the nature of the 27 country European Union itself. For more, visit here.

Learning Latin: Even in a homogenized world that is losing its diversity of languages, Latin lives. Stonehill offers two Latin courses and both are popular with students. Prof. Nuno Vieira teaches Elementary Latin and he reports that our students find the study of the ancient language helpful with grammar, vocabulary, and the mastery of other languages. Studies also show that Latin students score significantly higher on the verbal portion of the SAT. To learn more, visit here.

Raymo Literary Series: Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner will be in the Martin Institute on Tuesday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. for the rescheduled Chet Raymo Literary Series. This year, the format for the presentation will be a special conversation between Kushner and Associate Professor of English Daniel Itzkovitz. All are welcome. For more, visit here.

Mr. Stonehill: In the Mr. Stonehill 2008 contest recently, senior Wes Evans became the tenth winner of the coveted crown. For the full story and photos from Mr. Stonehill, visit here.

Thanksgiving: To all of our readers, we extend heartfelt Thanksgiving wishes to you and your family.