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Editor:
Tom McFadden
Managing Editor: Niall O'Donnell
Contributing Editors: Tom O'Connor, Tyler Ament
Matt Hadro (Sports), Matt Anderson (Rome
Report)
Contributing Photographer: Tom O'Connor
Issue:
November 9, 2007
Name: Lauren Oligny
Age: 19
Year: Freshman
From: Asheville, NC
Major: Undecided
Any Hobbies? Cooking, skiing, gardening, reading, dancing
What's your favorite class or professor? Latin 101 with Dr. Clark. Dr. Clark brings the materiel to an approachable level and makes the students want to do well.
Do you play any sports? Soccer, softball, and racquetball
Do you participate in any drama or music related activities? Not this semester, but I hope to participate in the spring play.
What is your favorite thing about Christendom College? The availability of the sacraments and the love and selflessness with which the priests give of themselves.
Why did you choose Christendom College? I chose Christendom Colege for many reasons. One of the major things that impressed me about the college is that the faculty take an oath of fidelity to the Magisterium regardless of the subject that they teach and that the Faith is integrated into every class.
What do you plan to do after graduation? I hope to teach middle school Literature.
Cozy Kilian's on a Cool Fall Evening
Last Saturday students took comfort from a cool Fall evening at St. Kilian's Cafe, where Pub Night was held. Kilian's ambiance was made complete with live music, playing cards, and casino style poker chips. With the sun starting to set so early now (around 5 p.m.), it was a great way to lighten the campus and student spirits.
Sophomores Nick Akhurst and Francis Ginski along with junior K.C. Dufrain played some "laid-back blues" tunes, while students conversed or played card games. Locally brewed Dominion Root Beer was on hand for all as well as some delightful imports for those 21 and older.
Senior Erin McCafferty was in charge of the event and made sure there was enough delights for all to enjoy with their beer: pub mix, brownie muffins, and a variety of cookies. The hum of conversation continued through the night, mingling with the sound of guitars and bongos.
"It was a great time," Sophomore Terry Spring said. "It was very relaxing and my table had a great conversation."
Editor's Note: Although Christendom College is alcohol free campus, at official college events, those of legal age are allowed a regulated amount to drink.
Students Get Active in Recent Elections
Senior Bridget O'Donnell joined the staff of Virginia State Senate Candidate Jill Vogel two weeks ago. It was an intense campaign that ended with elections this past Tuesday.
Vogel won the election by 700 votes. Vogel credited her campaign helpers and voter base, first and foremost, for the victory.
"Nobody worked harder than the people in this room, truly," exclaimed Vogel. "I owe this to those of you in this room."
O'Donnell was joined by fellow seniors, Dan Henson, Mike Mruk, and Maria Ford during the final campaign days.
"It was nice to be part of a winning campaign," O'Donnell said. She had worked on Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-PA) most recent campaign, which ended in a loss to the democrat contender.
"Jill Vogel is an amazing person," Mike Mruk said. "I would not hesitate in voting for her if she ran for president."
While this campaign in particular was a success, the Republican party lost control of the Virginia State Senate for the first time in twelve years.
Outreach in Action
Students gathered in Kilian's Cafe on Tuesday evening to write Happy Thanksgiving cards to the prisoners in the local juvenile detention center.
"While most of us will be going hope to big family gatherings with pumpkin pie and turkey, these young men will be in a prison cell," Senior Agnes King said. "The holidays can be rough, so we hope to lift the prisoners spirits with these greetings.
"We work with the Diocese of Arlington. They send us the list and we make the cards. Sometimes we hear back from the prisoners. They send a little 'thank you', but most of the time not. We do know that the kids really appreciate it. The holiday cards are always well received."
Student Outreach has an active Calendar every month: visiting nursing homes, working at soup kitchens, sponsoring canned food drives, and running diaper drives for the local Crisis Pregnancy Center.
The Bella Experience
The entire lifespan of Metanoia Film’s Bella has been a miracle. They started with an idea that turned into a success in every way possible. The film almost didn’t make it off the ground when funding was needed to launch into full production in New York, yet with the help of Eustace and Sean Wolfington and big-time Hollywood producer Steve McEveety they were able to get the money and production experience needed to shoot the film in 23 days on a minimal budget in the most expensive shooting location in the world.
During production, the life of an unborn child was saved when Eduardo Verastegui was doing research for his character at an abortion clinic, and countless others were affected by the humble beautiful message of the film.
Once they finished the shoot and edited enough to submit to film festivals, everything got better. They went on to be the People’s Choice Award (the top award of the festival) winner at the most prestigious film festival in the world – the Toronto International Film Festival – and then to a Legacy Award from the Smithsonian, with countless others.
When opening weekend came around, Bella earned $1.3 million on only 165 screens nationwide, even beating the horrendous box-office blockbuster Saw IV on Sunday in per-theater averages, and then the following weekend it earned another million dollars, now putting its earnings to date at almost $3 million and counting.
Christendom was an integral part of making this film a success for opening weekend. The College scrambled together some vans, bought 100 tickets, and made a trek out to Sterling, VA, to see the film. The theaters were packed and everyone that saw the film enjoyed it, even after seeing it at a pre-screening on campus last Spring. This film has been a great step in the fight for the restoration of Catholic culture, and Christendom can be proud to say that they were a part of this success.
Find out mare about Bella and where you can see it... Become a part of the Bella experience!
Music and More at Fireside Chat
This past Wednesday, November 7th, Fr. Joseph Mary Brown was the guest speaker at the weekly Fireside Chat. Fr. Joseph Mary, a 1985 Christendom graduate, is the older brother of Philosophy Professor Mike Brown.
The night began with music performed by Marie Miller and John Killackey, followed by a sing-a-long with Mr. Brown accompanied by s’mores.
The topic for the evening was, “The Habit of Silence in the Life of a Student.” Fr. Joseph Mary began with a joke, which oddly enough found his brother at the center of the laughs. A quote from St. John Climacus set the mood for the night: “The lover of silence is the friend of wisdom and is continually receiving new light from Heaven.”
Fr. Joseph Mary reflected on the importance of interior silence, and the peace and joy which can be found in such quiet solitude. He touched upon the complications that our imaginations can present, and advised us to ask our Blessed Mother to purify our thoughts in order to achieve a closer union with God.
Due to a ban on outdoor fires due to the current drought in the Shenandoah Valley, this friendly discussion was still a Fireside Chat since it took place near the fireplace in the Chester Belloc Room.
Even though there were many students present, the event had the intimate nature one might expect from a much smaller gathering. After a brief Q&A, Father Joseph Mary ended the night with another round of jokes.
Seven Churches Pilgrimage and... ah, Venice!
Welcome back to the Rome Report and Happy Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica!
Since we now have less than three weeks left here in Rome, the rush to see as much as we can is on.
First, on Saturday, several students along with Mrs. Akers and Deacon Kizewski performed the Seven Church Pilgrimage. This is a traditional pilgrimage to seven churches in Rome, done during medieval times and encouraged by St. Philip Neri. The seven churches are St Mary Major, St. Sebastian, St. Lawrence, St. John Lateran, Santa Croce in Gerusalame, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Peter's.
It was a wonderful experience, and while it took us all day, we were rewarded in the end by going out to dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Akers, enjoying some fantastic pizza and a nutella calzone. If you have never had a nutella calzone, it may initially sound gross, but it truly is a work of genius.
Last weekend the group split up for a five-day break. With some of us in Spain, northern Italy, Greece, and Vienna for the weekend: a short time to breath before the end gets really hectic.
I was part of the small group that went to northern Italy, visiting Venice, Bologna, Padua, and Vicenza.
Venice was absolutely beautiful! And despite the rumors, it really doesn't smell. I had always heard that it smelled horrible, so I was really worried going in that I would come out smelling horrible as well. However, that didn't happen, because the city didn't smell. So my fears were completely unfounded, which is good.
Anyways, I am off now, to do something probably; I'll try to remember to write about it next week. Until then, God Bless!
In
honor of the 30th Anniversary of Christendom College
the Chronicler Online takes a peek into the past
of the college each week.
When Christendom Almost Left Front Royal
In 1980, the
school reached 70 students. This is
especially significant because the
College was able to raise standards
and still maintain a substantial enrollment.
That same academic year,
there began a long effort on the part
of the College to acquire and move
yet again to the Scaleby Estate, owned by Kenneth Gilpin—an estate which would
have provided an opportunity for less expensive long-term development.
By the first day of summer, a student
crew had been organized to go into
Scaleby and make it ready for the
following school year. The crew
worked the entire summer moving into Scaleby in anticipation of local
zoning approval for use of the 200-acre estate as a school.
In what appeared to be one of the most unfortunate moments in the College's
history, however, local opposition
prevented the desired approval and
the College was unable to open the
1981-1982 school year at the new
location.
According to College President Warren H. Carroll, however, these interferences were a blessing in
disguise, for many immediate improvements to the property would
have been required, which might have
strained the College's limited
finances. Additionally, residents of
Front Royal were pleased to see the
school remain in the community.
Since it was now too late to build
for the Fall of 1981 term in Front
Royal, nine mobile homes were placed on the soccer field: six for
the women, one for Father Edward Berbusse, S.J., the school's first resident priest, and two for recreation.
Despite the speed with which these
improvements were accomplished,
however, some of the College's 91
students had to go without water or
electricity in their living areas for
three days at the beginning of the fall
term.
Talk was made of building a
new dormitory (Campion Hall) on the far end of the
school property, that area where the
land was flat. Dr. Robert Rice, an
English professor new to Christendom, thus started blazing a trail in the
wooded area, which led to the site.
Every Saturday morning, a volunteer
student crew worked clearing, cutting, and hopping so that by the conclusion of the school year, the path was complete, serving both a functional and aesthetic purpose.
In August of 1982, the enrollment reached 94 students. Dr. Carroll was disappointed that it did not reach the quota of 105, but the school had refused to lower standards to meet quotas. It was this concern for both spiritual and intellectual standards, plus strong faith and hope, that had been the origin of Christendom, and had carried it through its first most difficult years. And on these standards Christendom was determined to continue.
Sorry...No Sports Center This Week!!!!
Q: Does Christendom give academic scholarships? Do I need to apply for one? What are they based on? K.F. - Oakland, CA
A: Christendom does offer academic scholarships and the good news is that you do not have to apply for them. If you qualify, you automatically receive one. They are primarily based on your ACT or SAT scores, plus GPA. If you have an SAT score between 1920 (includes all three sections of the test) and 2060 or an ACT between 29 and 31, you will automatically receive around $3000 a semester off tuition for all 4 years. If you have between a 2061 and 2299 or an ACT score of 32-34, you will get $4000 a semester off tuition for the entire 4 years. And if you got a 2300-2400 on your SAT or a 35-36 ACT score, then you will get $5000 a semester off tuition for the 4 years. In each of these cases, students must have a 3.0 GPA or higher in order to receive the full amount. If it is lower, then students will only receive a portion of the amount. But normally, people who score this high on the SAT or ACT do have a 3.0 or higher so it's not really an issue.
The exact figures of the scholarship are not set in stone yet for next year, but they will be higher than the $3000, $4000, and $5000 that I mentioned due to the fact that our tuition will probably go up a little, but the scholarships will as well. We should know the exact figures sometime in early February.
Also, when looking at SAT scores, we take the best reading score, the best math score, and the best writing score for all of your tests so my advice is to take the test many times to try and get the free money!
Thanks for asking and I hope this helps.
If
anyone has questions about applying, visiting, scholarships,
financial aid, campus life, rules and regulations, majors,
core curriculum, transfer credits, or even about the food
here at Christendom, please do not hesitate to contact me
at any time: 800.877.5456 ext 1290 or tmcfadden@christendom.edu.
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