Chronicler
Home
Editor:
Tom McFadden
Managing Editor: Niall O'Donnell
Contributing Editors: Tom O'Connor,
Jack Anderson (Sports Center)
Contributing Photographers: Tom O'Connor
Issue: April 25, 2008
Name: Greg Monroe
Age: Ancient (actually, 22)
Year: Senior
From: Dayton, OH...But, due to a very recent family migration, I'm now a southern Cali surfer dude.
Major: Political Science & Economics
Any Hobbies? Sports, Reading, Drawing, teaching Swing and Ballroom dance, guitar playing, and pearl-diving in the Shenandoah.
What's your favorite class or professor? Hmmmm, there have been numerous classes I have enjoyed over the years. Politics Practica was an amazing experience involving field trips (á la The Magic School Bus), Doctrine with Mr. O'Herron, Philosophy with Mr. Brown (and his full-contact chalk analogies), Marshner's theology classes, Old & New Testament with Professor Jenislawski (Cobra Sake, anyone?), and other classes with inside jokes that I don't have space to write about.
Do you play any sports? A lil' bit o' Basketball, Rugby, intramurals, and competitive rope-swing jumping (I'm still working on the double back-flip).
Do you participate in any drama or music related activities? I've had the opportunity to be in Christendom's productions of the Scarlet Pimpernel, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Mystery Dinner Theatre.
What is your favorite thing about Christendom College? Obviously, a campus is only as great as the individuals within it, and Christendom is filled with great people from multiple backgrounds who create a campus environment, which is never dull.
Why did you choose Christendom College? I transferred to Christendom after a year at a school in Ohio because I was looking for a "solid" education with great extracurricular opportunities. I am also interested in politics, and with D.C. so close I was able to scope out the Washington scene and make connections.
What do you plan to do after graduation? In order to become a legit Californian, I think surfing is on the top of my list. After that, I am interested in teaching or business, and ultimately, politics.
Students Hear from JPII's Press Secretary
On April 18, the College community gathered in the Chapel of Christ the King to attend a special Mass celebrated by Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Following the Mass, Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls, former Press Secretary to the Holy See, was given an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters at an Academic Convocation held in the St. Lawrence Commons.
“I am well aware that the mission of this College is ‘to bear witness to the whole truth about God, man, and the created order,’” Navarro-Valls began his address at the Convocation.
He continued to describe the College’s mission as an institutional commitment of exceptional bravery witnessed “in both the academic syllabus and the extracurricular activities—a combination for which the College is well known for.”
Navarro-Valls’ address focused on the relationship between faith and culture.
“Christian thought needs universities as places in which the Faith can take—let’s say—bodily form and become culture. It is a task that is yours,” he said.
This insightful address can be heard at Christendom on iTunes U.
A Cookies and Cream Dance
One of the most anticipated events on the spring activities calendar is the annual “Oreo Dance,” a themed black & white dance organized by the Student Activities Council.
The dance was held during the 30th Anniversary weekend and is the only dance of the year that is held in the Crusader Gymnasium.
The Oreo Dance is the last dance before the end of the semester and is always one of the most popular events of the school year. Students are asked to wear black and white clothing to match the theme and, of course, Oreos and milk are served for refreshments!
It is a great example of the fun and creative events the SAC hosts throughout the year, giving students the chance to socialize and relax after a hard week of studies.
Cardinal in the Court
Students woke up to a beautiful Saturday morning last weekend and a Cardinal in the tennis court.
Saturday was an ideal day for a myriad of outdoor activities on Christendom's scenic campus. But the largest crowd could be found at the tennis court where Cardinal Arinze was playing tennis with several lucky students.
Senior Joe Moliter, Sophomore Benjamin Allen and Freshman Richard Allingtion were among the students to play the Cardinal.
"It was a lot of fun," Benjamin Allen said. "He won a number of the games, but he won them fairly. We didn't let him win."
"He played a conservative game," Joe Moliter said. "I was on his team and played an aggressive game. At one point I over extended myself and missed the ball. The Cardinal got a kick out that. Everyone couldn't help but laugh with him, myself included."
Students and Friends of College Celebrate 30 Years
On Saturday night a group of students joined over 500 of Christendom College’s faculty, staff, benefactors, and guests at the Thirtieth Anniversary Benefit Gala Dinner Dance. The event was held at the Washington-Dulles Hilton, on the anniversary date of the election of Pope Benedict XVI, April 19 and raised $250,000 in Student Aid.
Warren Carroll, Damian Fedoryka, and Timothy O’Donnell, the College’s three presidents since its 1977 founding, were in attendance as were many of the founding faculty members. Cardinal Arinze and Navarro-Valls served as the Chairman of the Honorary Dinner Committee for the event.
Emceed by EWTN’s Marcus Grodi, the evening included a fifteen-minute promotional video of Christendom College created by 2007 Alumnus Julian Ahlquist. Cardinal Arinze, Navarro-Valls, and College President Timothy O’Donnell gave remarks, as well.
In his remarks to the guests, Cardinal Arinze was pleased to read a congratulatory letter from the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI in which the Holy Father imparted his Apostolic Blessing on the College.
Watch Cardinal Arinze's remarks:
A Mass of Thanksgiving
On Sunday morning, Cardinal Arinze celebrated a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving at Christendom’s Chapel of Christ the King during which he told the congregation that “for thirty years Christendom College has given distinguished service as an authentic academic institution. It has performed admirably to live, to show, and to share its Catholic character. And it has educated citizens that are a credit to Church and society.” Read the entire homily HERE.
The weekend concluded with special champagne brunch where the College community was able to say farewell to the Cardinal.
Pictures from the entire 30th Anniversary Celebratory Weekend may be viewed by going here.
In
honor of the 30th Anniversary of Christendom College
the Chronicler Online takes a peek into the past
of the college each week.
The First Year for the First Graduate
In the Christendom College Report of May 1978, then-student Mary Stuart wrote a reflection on her first year at Christendom. Christendom has grown physically and developed in many ways, but at the core it has remained faithful to its founding mission.
Read these words from a member of the first graduating class of Christendom College:
One shiny Sunday in mid-September we arrived at Christendom College strangers to each other. Some brave ones came here in order to be part of a new college, founded on high ideals; some had tried other schools but yearned for an education in truth, not relativism; others wanted to learn in a Christian environment; and some obedient ones came on parental orders.
But all came wondering how every course could reasonably be taught from a Catholic viewpoint, how much strictly Christian living they could endure and what their fellow classmates would be like.
The day that began in timidity proceeded with courageous smiles and ended in the chatter, "good talk" and the laughter of newly made friends. We had our fears and many of our values in common; we shared our hope too as our president and teachers explained the idea of Christendom, the reign of Christ the King, and the school year began with a beautiful opening Mass.
The tempo of our expectation, along with our talk and laughter, picked up everyday as we acquired the spirit of our teachers. They proved to be a rare breed, sacrificing higher pay and prestige for Christ and His Church, for the youth who needed to learn and to live His truth and for their hope in Christendom itself. Young, generous with their time and energy, they taught us more than books could by their own example.
Surprisingly, classes were not dry and stiff, but exciting and friendly. Their small size made individual attention always available.
Goal of Studies
The goal of our studies was to find truth searching through wisdom and revelation and form it into one reality. We learned that faith and reason not only could be combined, but they must be combined. Our Faith pervaded every subject and affected its point of view. What might have sounded like foolishness to our modern ears before, proved itself in the classes which came alive with questions and enthusiasm.
The success of what was folly to the world extended before our amazed eyes into a wholly Christian life: everyone freely attending the daily Mass and Rosary, joining in soccer and football, planning the first parties, singing on the bus as it came home late at night. When the Eucharist was reserved in the sanctuary in October individuals made frequent between-class visits and said Rosaries together. When the class got organized, we held parties with guitar, dancing and skits, a ping-pong tournament with everyone participating, soccer and basketball games against outside teams, a huge picnic and a tremendously successful coffee house.
The kids joined in work and religious activities too at a simple request; when there was mass mailings, other work to be done, meetings to be held, the Washington March for Life or a pilgrimage to the Immaculate Conception Shrine, students participated eagerly and selflessly. When Lent came, besides the individual and community sacrifices, many made it to Benediction before dinner every night, and gave their Friday nights up for a few hours of meditation and adoration.
The student's endless sense of humor and ingenuity managed to turn normally dull events inside out: groups got together and studied in the restaurant near the dorms, while buying a coke each to keep from being thrown out; the laundromat we even turned into a place of laughter and square dancing!
We were kids in ways most like any other, yet special; we believed, quietly and deeply, the same things that my parents had always said like voices in a wilderness. Moreover, we tired to live what we believed, and succeeded a little more each day. And being part of Christendom filled our individual and shared lives with beauty and truth as well as a great deal of challenge.
—Mary Stuart, Class of 1980
A Year Into His Tenure, Vander Woude Makes a Big Impact
This past year at Christendom, students have witnessed some major changes in the athletic department. New Athletic Director, Chris Vander Woude, has brought about a new era of Christendom sports. He has raised the bar of competition as the athletes in each sport have been subject to a demanding training program and tougher practices. With this extra time on the playing field, Vander Woude has also emphasized the need to stay focused in the classroom. He ensures that every athlete participates in team study halls during the week and keeps tabs on everyone’s progress.
“It’s a tough job bringing in students to play sports with the rigorous academic schedule here,” said Matt Lancaster, “but he has proved up to the task. He’s completely revamped the athletic program, increasing support for all the sports we have here.”
The student athletes really appreciate all the work Vander Woude puts into coordinating practices to fit everyone’s needs. He ensures that his players can attend both class and practice, helping them become well rounded individuals.
In addition to leading the entire athletic department, Vander Woude coaches men’s basketball and soccer. He drives the basketball team bus for all the road games and then gets his dress shirt on to coach.
“It’s really great to see our driver just get off the bus and turn in to Coach Vander Woude,” said one sophomore.
Vander Woude performs a plethora of services for the college and “his hands on approach has worked well with the various teams at Christendom and our fan base,” said Luke Zignego.
Vander Woude has also garnered some local support in Front Royal. A local Applebee’s wanted to put up Christendom memorabilia around the store including pictures, pennants, and the like. The Crusader gym hosts basketball camps for young athletes in Warren County and some of them are led by Christendom’s own Dr. Mark Clark and Pate Quest.
Last but not least Coach Vander Woude has established several new programs. Next year, Christendom will boast a swim team and a golf team. There is also talk of a crew team being established at some point as well. Christendom is truly seeing it’s athletic program’s rise to the top and it sure is a great thing to witness.
So with one year under his belt, Chris Vander Woude has brought about some significant alterations to the athletic program. Only time will tell how much more he can do for Christendom and its students.
Q: What's your favorite thing about Christendom College?
– K.G, Salisbury, NC.
A: Oh there are just so many, but let me see if I can narrow it down to one thing. Speaking as a former student of this college, and now, as an employee, I'd have to say that the fact that the Catholic faith affects everything that we do here on campus is my favorite aspect to the college.
When we talk about our faith or Catholicism, it doesn't just happen when we are in the chapel or in theology class. Catholicism is a way of life, a manner of living, that should affect everything that we do.
Catholicism affects our academic progam in that everything is taught from a Catholic perspective, and deals with subject matter important to Catholics, such as philosophy, theology, literature, history, and political science. Catholicism affects our students' extra-curricular events by having uplifting and edifying students activities, ones that promote the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. Catholicism affects how our students live in common by having family friendly rules and regulations on campus, such as, no alcohol, no intervisitation, dress code for class and Mass, modesty dress code, no TVs or internet in the dorms, and curfew for freshmen and sophomores under 21.
Christendom was a time in history when pretty much everything was Catholic, or at least all of Europe. That's why we are called Christendom because we are trying to work to restore all things in Christ, working to transform the social order and make it more Catholic.
Catholicism is, as we like to say, the air that we breathe, and personally, I just can't get enough! I invite you to inhale Christendom College!
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.
.g
