Monday Morning Update

January 25, 2010

Voices Carry: Forty singers strong, the Stonehill Chapel Choir recently spent a week in France where they sang in glorious cathedrals, including one at Le Mans, the home of Blessed Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross. This was the Choir's fourth European stop and the students, along with five alumni singers, were moved by the experience of performing at such major religious and historical locations. Choir Director Denise Morency Gannon notes "as they sang, their voices resounded and echoed back to them in reverberated hymns of praise. Transcending language, they engaged musically, spiritually and intellectually with the world."

Election Reflection: If the Democrats do not want the election of Republican Scott Brown to be a harbinger of things to come, they should recall Speaker Tip O'Neill and get back in touch with their roots, argues Martin Institute Director Peter Ubertaccio in the Providence Journal. Ubertaccio notes that, when O'Neill brought the Democrats to power in Massachusetts in 1949, he understood voters like to be asked for their vote and he campaigned accordingly. To read his analysis, visit here.

Indigenous Peoples: Following the success of its two-year exploration of Globalization, the Martin Institute has announced its next theme will focus on Indigenous Peoples. Running from 2010 to 2012, the program will see collaboration among Martin Institute Fellows, other faculty, guest experts and students as they study Native American issues, including environmental policies, literature, civil rights, tribal sovereignty, and religious practices. At the fore of this initiative are the Martin Fellows, who are Andrea Opitz (English), Robert Rodgers (Political Science) Chris Wetzel (Sociology/Criminology) and William Ewell (Political Science). For more, visit here.

Best Bank: The Boston Business Journal recently singled out 10 area-businesses that have distinguished themselves in the last decade and included Eastern Bank, which is headed by Robert Rivers, a finance major who graduated in 1986. A member of the Visiting Committee on Business Administration, Roberts has been President of the state's largest community bank since 2007. He is a strong supporter of Stonehill, which he believes helped him get where he is today. In noting how Eastern has weathered the economic downturn, the paper cited Eastern Bank's "even keel" approach.

Magical Place: For four decades before Stonehill opened, our 600+ acre location was the estate of industrialist Frederick Lothrop Ames. It was also the stomping grounds of local children who considered the estate a magical place during the Great Depression. Journalist James Wyman was one of those children and his new book Bittersweet Beginnings: A Sketchbook of a Great Depression Boyhood captures the flavor of those pre-Stonehill times. To read his MMU interview, visit here.

Book Quiz: We have three copies of Wyman's book. To win a copy, be one of the first three people to answer these two questions: What year was Stonehill founded and when did the Congregation of Holy Cross purchase the Ames estate? Call x1070 or email mmcgovern@stonehill.edu.

Contact

For more information, contact Communications and Media Relations at 508-565-1321.