Editor:
Tom McFadden
Managing Editor: Niall O'Donnell
Contributing Editors: Tom O'Connor,
Jack Anderson (Sports)
Contributing Photographer: Tom O'Connor
Issue:
January 25, 2008
Name: Mary Kate Vander Woude Age: 18 Year: Freshman From: Nokesville, VA Major: Undecided Any Hobbies? I love hanging out with friends, playing sports, singing and acting What's your favorite class or professor? Philosophy with Mr. Brown, mostly because it's just a really fun class and Mr. Brown makes the class very active and demands a lot of participation. Do you play any sports? Yes. I play soccer and basketball. I just love sports and they're a great way to stay active and to have a break from classes. Do you participate in any drama or music related activities? No, but I hope to do be in the Musical next year. What is your favorite thing about Christendom College? My favorite part is how easy it is to live your faith. Christendom is like a small knit family helping each other out with everything from classes to our spiritual life. It's great! Why did you choose Christendom College? Well my parents actually chose it for me, but it probably was the best decision for me. It provides everyone with a great core curriculum and has the faith at the center of everything. What do you plan to do after graduation? I'm not sure yet! Possibly go into nursing or do some missionary work. We'll see.
Students Jump Into Action at Sports Fest
On Friday night the annual Friday Night Social and Sports Fest was held in the Crusader Gym.
Among the events were obstacle courses, three legged races and dodgeball. Refreshments were located upstairs, along with board games and other activities.
The Student Activities Council was in charge of organizing and setting up the event, and also acted as referees during the games and races.
The three-legged race was one of the more popular events with students attempting new, and sometimes comical, approaches to this classic.
The social was a great success, and was the first of two events hosted by the SAC over the weekend.
Welcome Back Dance Gets Everyone Back Into the Swing of Things
Students had a lot to look forward to this past weekend as the Welcome Home Dance was held on Saturday night. Members of the Student Activities Council were in charge of decorating the St. Lawrence Commons and providing the music through ought the night.
There was a dance for everyone on Saturday, where the music ranged from line dancing and country music, to big band and contemporary artists.
“I thought the dance was a great time, especially after being in Rome. I got to see everyone, and catch up with everyone I hadn’t seen yet,” said Matt Anderson, last semester's Rome Report contributor.
Freshman James Redlinger commented: “I had really been excited about the first dance of the semester, and had a lot of fun. I’m also really looking forward to the decades dance.”
Christendom’s swing dance club holds practices every Sunday night, and allows students to refine their moves. The next dance will be held during the first week of February, and is a themed Decade Dance.
Students Meet President Bush
Fifty Christendom College students attended a breakfast in honor of the Annual March for Life hosted by President George W. Bush at the White House on January 22.
The Chronicler Online caught up with Senior Dan Henson of Wake Forest, NC, who attended the breakfast at the White House to ask him about the experience.
CO: So how was it?
Dan: It was amazing to be able to travel into D.C., go to the White House, and have breakfast with the President. It was an experience few will ever be able to have, and I am glad that the school had the connections in order to make it possible. There were only about 200 people in the room, and 50 of them were from Christendom.
CO: What is it like in the White House?
Dan: Gorgeous. Being in the "Red room" of the White House and sitting on furniture from the 18th century was incredible—thinking of all the important dignitaries that had been able to enjoy that same room since the construction of the White House.
CO: How did you meet the President?
Dan: We were all able to enter a small sitting room where the President addressed the March for Life group, and after the address I was able to shake President Bush's hand as he came around greeting those who he had opened his house to.
CO: Wow! Amazing Thanks, Dan!
Listen to the president's address, which was later broadcasted at the rally before the March.
After the breakfast the group joined their fellow students at the March for Life.
Entire Student Body Marches for Life
Braving the cold weather, the entire student body along with faculty and staff rallied on the Mall facing Capitol Hill and joined the many thousands at the annual March for Life.
“It was very invigorating to see so many people stand together—people who fight with all their hearts,” Sophomore Sarah Miranda of Boston, Mass. said. “You’re there to make a difference.”
Many of the participants in the March for Life were young. The March appeared to be more like a youth rally “with smiling teenagers in matching scarves or sweat shirts holding school banners high,” the Washington Post reported.
During the rally one of the speakers asked that everyone under the age of 25 raise their hand. “It seemed as if everyone in the crowd raised their hands,” Miranda said.
“It’s a joy to be a part of the March,” College President Timothy O’Donnell said. “Christendom was founded four years after the tragic Roe v. Wade decision and the college has made the commitment to take a physical stance every year on behalf of the unborn. The formation that our students receive impels them to be active in the fight against the culture of death. Our motto ‘to restore all things in Christ’ calls us to take the Gospel message into all spheres of life, particularly the political.”
Christendom College routinely cancels classes on the day of the March, and the Student Activities Council charters as many buses as needed to transport the entire student body, and numerous members of the faculty and staff to the March.
In
honor of the 30th Anniversary of Christendom College
the Chronicler Online takes a peek into the past
of the college each week.
A Voice from the Past
Many of Christendom's professors guest lecture across the nation and beyond and have done so since the beginnings of the College. Now you can experience a lecture by Dr. Warren Carroll on one of his most noted topics, the Spanish Inquisition.
The Chronicler Online proudly presents this series of videos as a window to the past.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Crusaders Rally Falls Short
Maybe it was the long trip to Ohio the night before; maybe it was the pressure of a big game against an archrival, but whatever it was the Christendom men’s basketball program stumbled out of the gate against their longtime rival, the Franciscan University of Steubenville Barons. Trailing 16-1, Crusaders’ Coach Chris Vander Woude called for a time-out in order to refocus his players and try to get them back into the game. Whatever he said during that time-out worked wonders as the Crusaders stormed back, led by freshman Matt Rensch and senior Greg Monroe.
Rensch provided some big threes in the first half to keep the Crusaders in the game as they trailed at the half 36-23. Monroe snapped out of his sluggish start with a big effort in the second half and the Crusaders twice cut the Barons’ lead to nine only to be thwarted by some stellar perimeter shooting from the Steubenville guards. In the end, Franciscan pulled away winning 79-63 despite suffering through foul trouble for much of the game.
“We dug ourselves into a hole that we couldn’t dig ourselves out of,” said Vander Woude after the game. “We kept making stupid mistakes every time we got to within nine points.”
For the game, the sweet shooting Rensch led the Crusaders with 22 points while Monroe chipped in with double figures and several crushing blocks that brought the Christendom fans to their feet. Senior Pate Quest and junior Matt Hadro also contributed solid efforts on both sides of the ball.
Even with the intensity flowing during the game, both teams played with the sportsmanship expected from two Catholic schools. Sophomore guard TJ Nacey was impressed with the control exhibited on the court by both teams.
“We stayed calm despite the intense rivalry. It was disappointing to lose but it was a fun experience being able to play in an intense game. We prepared hard for it and we stayed focused during our stay with a curfew and an early morning shoot-around.”
In addition to the hype of a rivalry, Nacey was also thrilled with the fan support that followed the team to Steubenville. “It was great to see so many fans make the 5 hour drive up to see us.”
Nacey had every right to be happy with the support the Crusaders received in a hostile gym, as many from Christendom flocked to Ohio. It was good to see so many take this rivalry seriously, and the Christendom cheering section provided just as much noise as the Steubenville side.
All in all, it was a successful weekend despite the defeat as both teams represented everything their respective schools stand for, and it is certain that the Crusader underclassmen will come back next year looking to settle the score.
Q: How many students are enrolled at Christendom right now and does the College have plans to grow in the future?
–R.C., New York, NY.
A: We currently have 397 students enrolled. I know that to many of you that may seem like a very small amount. And to be honest, it is. But that’s the way we like it. At Christendom, we view ourselves more like a big Catholic family than anything else. We like to think that because of our size, we are able to offer a more personalized education to our students. Our students are not simply people who take up space in our lecture halls, rather, they are unique individuals, created by God with immortal souls for the purpose of spending eternity with Him in Heaven. And that is our focus here at Christendom: the nurturing and growth of our students’ spiritual lives so that they might be better able to grow in love of Christ and His Church. And, of course, we also have a rigorous academic program as well!
With the number of students that we have, we are able to know each student individually and thereby better able to help them along on their journey to Heaven. And our President, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, is like a father-figure to many of our students and alumni, myself included. Everyday, he can be seen at our 11:30am Mass with his wife and children, giving the College family a great example of what it is to be a Catholic man and father in today’s world.
Since our founding, the Board of Directors has been committed to keeping the student body to a manageable size and thus has set the limits of enrollment to be 450-500 students. They believe that Christendom can still be like a big family (although sometimes a little dysfunctional!) and still be able to maintain the close relationships made between the faculty and students.
It will be a number of years before Christendom reaches its 500 student limit due to the fact that we have to rely on the generosity of our benefactors to raise the needed funds to build new dormitories and other necessary buildings. In my estimation, we will remain around the 400 student mark for the next 5 years or so, which means that, unfortunately, the number of qualified applicants admitted to Christendom will be limited and more and more people will be placed on a waiting list to get in. My recommendation is to apply early and make your deposit on time in order to ensure your spot in this year’s freshman class!
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.
Copyright
2008. Christendom College. All rights reserved.
.g
Name: Mary Kate Vander Woude
On Friday night the annual Friday Night Social and Sports Fest was held in the Crusader Gym. 
Students had a lot to look forward to this past weekend as the Welcome Home Dance was held on Saturday night. Members of the Student Activities Council were in charge of decorating the St. Lawrence Commons and providing the music through ought the night. 
Fifty Christendom College students attended a breakfast in honor of the Annual March for Life hosted by President George W. Bush at the White House on January 22. 
Braving the cold weather, the entire student body along with faculty and staff rallied on the Mall facing Capitol Hill and joined the many thousands at the annual March for Life.
Maybe it was the long trip to Ohio the night before; maybe it was the pressure of a big game against an archrival, but whatever it was the Christendom men’s basketball program stumbled out of the gate against their longtime rival, the Franciscan University of Steubenville Barons. Trailing 16-1, Crusaders’ Coach Chris Vander Woude called for a time-out in order to refocus his players and try to get them back into the game. Whatever he said during that time-out worked wonders as the Crusaders stormed back, led by freshman Matt Rensch and senior Greg Monroe.
In addition to the hype of a rivalry, Nacey was also thrilled with the fan support that followed the team to Steubenville. “It was great to see so many fans make the 5 hour drive up to see us.” 
With the number of students that we have, we are able to know each student individually and thereby better able to help them along on their journey to Heaven. And our President, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, is like a father-figure to many of our students and alumni, myself included. Everyday, he can be seen at our 11:30am Mass with his wife and children, giving the College family a great example of what it is to be a Catholic man and father in today’s world.