Name:
Eve Owen
Age: 20
Year: Sophomore
From: St. Paul, Oregon
Major: Probably History
Hobbies? I'm on the Student Activities Council (SAC)
- it's not really a hobby, but I enjoy helping organize
and put on many of the student events here on campus.
What's your favorite class? I would have to say that
History 201 with Prof. McGuire is my favorite. I love how
he relates the events of history like a very vivid story.
It reminds me of the way that Dr. Carroll writes in his
history books.
What do you like most about Christendom? My favorite
aspect to Christendom is the availability of the chaplains
and the chapel and also the fun campus life.
Why did you choose Christendom? I chose Christendom
because I wanted an education and campus community that
was Christ-centered and had high academic standards. And
Christendom is that place!
Plans after graduation? Not quite sure, but I would
be happy to go home and work in my family's winery: Owenroe
Almost
Heaven....Front Royal, Virginia....Blue Ridge Mountains....Shenandoah
River
This
past weekend fifty-six Christendom Students canoed a seven-mile
stretch of the scenic Shenandoah River.
Students
spent the Sunday afternoon enjoying some of the most beautiful
weather and scenery in Virginia. In the words of Thomas
Francis, "It was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable
experience, especially because we beat everyone in the canoe
wars that broke out! We were the last canoe standing…well,
floating." Students arrived back on campus wet but
rejuvenated from the day's relaxation.
Christendom's
campus overlooks the Shenandoah River and students take
advantage of the river whenever possible.
Student
Pro-Life Group Shield of Roses Still Going Strong
Almost
70 students took part in this past Saturday morning's Shield
of Roses prayerful protest at one of the Planned Parenthood
abortion mills in Washington, DC.
Each
week throughout the school year, students give up their
Saturday mornings to go to 7am Mass and then drive the 1
1/2 hours to downtown Washington to protest the murder of
innocent human lives through the violence of abortion.
Sophomore
Paul Wilson believes that more people should get actively
involved in the pro-life movement. "Many of today's
great pro-life heroes are getting a little long in the tooth,
so to speak: Joe Scheidler, Nellie Gray, Bernard Nathanson,
and others," he says. "We need to step up to the
plate as young people and take on the challenge of defending
the most innocent of all: the unborn. Shield of Roses has
been doing this since 1981 at Christendom College, and we
want to continue to fight for the rights of all God's children."
Ambassadors
Get Back Into the Swing of Things
Student
Ambassadors are select students who volunteer to host visiting
students in their rooms and to give tours to prospective
students and their families when they visit.
As
a result, the Admissions Office relies heavily on their
good will and their friendly, cheerful attitudes. A number
of times throughout the year, Director of Admissions Tom
McFadden, a former restaurant manager and chef, treats the
Ambassadors to home-cooked meals.
On
Monday, Labor Day, the 90 Ambassadors feasted on Grilled
BBQ chicken breasts, coleslaw, and Emeril's Famous Potato
Salad, and then delighted in learning that McFadden's son,
John, had made his famous "Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip
Cookies." In fact, every week, Ambassadors have their
own special Cookie Day when they can stop by the Admissions
Office and partake of more of these special to-die-for home
made cookies.
So
next time you stop by for a visit, make sure you ask an
Ambassador about Cookie Day and watch his or her eyes light
up. Contact the Admissions
Office to schedule your visit today.
"If
I'm Going to Heaven, I'm Going There Playing The Piano"
Jerry
Lee Lewis, Liberachi, Harry Conick Jr, David Helfgot...They've
got nothing on Christendom students when it comes to playing
the piano and giving amazing performances.
On Saturday, September 1st, the Student Activities Council
put on Piano Night, an annual event that gives students
a chance to perform pieces that have taken years to prepare.
The
evening began with Senior Sarah Berger, who played From
Foreign Lands and People by Schumann and Chopin's Op.
9 No. 2. Sophomore Jarred Mooney played his own composition
while Junior Kathryn Kujawski played the ever popular Pachabel's
Canon in D Major. Freshman Richard Allington tickled
the ivories with Dicebelli's Sonatina in C and Strauus'
Blue Danube. Intermission was preceded by an astounding
performance from Senior Joseph Mazzara, who played Scott
Joplin's fast moving Maple Leaf Rag.
The
second half saw Sophomore Bridget Randolph playing A
Alfredo G. Faira Plaera and Serenade by Shubert
while Sophomore George Walter played an assortment of melodies
and Freshman Natasha Wowchuck delighted the audience with
Pastels and Velocity.
The
evening concluded with Freshman Katie Lademan playing an
original composition; Senior Jennifer soon-to-be Mazzara
Posten performing Reverie by Debussy; and Sophomore
Matt Lancaster doing what he seems to do best - playing
a whole bunch of different songs by ear.
"It
is so amazing that all of these people have such incredible
talent, yet they decided to pursue a degree in the liberal
arts rather than music," remarked Dean of Student Life
Joe Wurtz. "When I used to work at another college
that actually had a music program, I never saw talent like
I saw at piano night, and like I see at all the various
musical performance events that we put on here at Christendom.
It's a pleasure being around such talented students!"
Students
Learn About Life Skills at "Life on Tap"
Mr.
Keith Robinson, a ten year veteran in Silicon Valley as
an executive coach assisting senior technology executives
in their career exploration strategies and career search
tactics, spoke at the opening Life on Tap event of the semester
on Friday, August 31st, in the St. Kilian's Cafe.
Mr.
Robinson has a vast amount of experience in a variety of
fields. He worked in technology, financial services, publishing
and retail sectors, in both line management and human resource
roles. He was responsible for up to 33,000 employees and
was part of an executive team that helped grow a firm from
$8 billion to $32 billion in revenue. He also has six children
(one of whom attends Christendom) and six grandchildren
(so far), and is active in St. John the Baptist Parish in
Front Royal, VA
Robinson
encouraged the numerous juniors and seniors, as well as
the under classmen present, that when one is asking, "What
should I do with my life" and "How will I be fulfilled"
one is usually thinking of a career, yet typically God is
asking us to use our talents in a multiplicity of areas
- using one's writing and business skills in one's career,
and perhaps using one's theology and organizational skills
in volunteering in the community."
Robinson
recommended that all students should develop the lifelong
skill of finding out about what others do, have done, and
what they like or dislike about it. "People love to
talk and you can learn an immense amount from just listening."
Robinson had two final suggestions: Pray and God will direct
you, and enjoy the process. "Turn the career job search
into a big Easter egg hunt, and it will be both enjoyable,
and you will do it well."
Following
the talk, Freshman Marie
Miller and her band performed a wonderful array of acoustic
songs for entertainment. Miller has performed in Nashville
and has been called, by some, the "Marie Osmond of
the 21st Century."
with
Matt Anderson
Greetings
friends, family, students, benefactors, faculty, staff,
prospective students, and anyone else who might come accross
this Chronicler Online thing. My name is Matt Anderson,
and through the powers that be I have been given the immense
responsibility of reporting on the goings on of the Christendom
in Rome program for Fall 2007.
This
week, however, the title of Rome Report barely fits,
for you see, we are not in Rome right now, we are in Florence.
We arrived for a teaser day in Rome about a week ago with
many of us tired from the flight and some of us very dirty
from backpacking around Europe before the semester began.
On the first day we had a brief orientation, followed by
our first visit to St. Peter's with daily Mass at said basilica.
Then, the next morning it was off to Florence, where we
received a crash course on the rules of living in a convent.
That night was our first encounter with the beloved and
famous Madre, our Italian professor. We knew that she was
our Italian professor because she spoke only in Italian
for the first hour. Since those memorible first few hours,
we have gone to Luca to the shrine of St. Gemma Galgani,
as well as visiting the churches of Santa Croce, San Miniato,
Santa Maria Novella, the Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) and
San Marco, the monastary of Fra Angelico.
Perhaps
one of the most moving visits for many of us so far as been
our visit to Santissima Anunziate. This church contains
a miraculous image of Our Lady at the moment of the Annunciation.
When the painter was painting this image, he did not feel
up to the task of painting the face of Mary, so he left
it blank. When he woke up the next morning, however, the
face had been painted by an angel during the night. This
church, which is the center of Marian devotion for the region
of Tuscany, has perhaps been the favorite (besides St. Peter's)
for the whole group thus far. When we have not been touring,
we have been studying Italian as part of a new two week
intensive Italian course. Though very busy, the group has
been doing well, and Brendan Sheridan would like to add,
"It's been splendid." This weekend we go to Siena,
so check back next week for another exhilarating and long-winded
edition of the Rome Report.
In
honor of the 30th Anniversary of Christendom College
the Chronicler Online takes a peek into the past
of the college each week.
Dr.
Kristin Popik Burns, Founding Faculty Member
Last
week we talked about Dr. Warren Carroll. Today, we are moving
on to one of the other founding faculty members: Dr. Kristin
Popik Burns.
30
Years Later....in her own words.
“Can it really be that long - over half of my life
- that I have spent in and around Christendom? Yet when
I think back to ‘before Christendom’ or even the
early days, they do seem a very long time ago!
I
recall standing outside our first campus on opening day,
nervously joking with Ray O’Herron and Jeff Mirus [two
of the other founding faculty members] about whether any
students would actually come, and whether they would be
‘normal’ or ‘geeks.’ Thanks be to God
– and to their incredibly courageous and trusting parents
– they did come and they were great kids.
I
also remember my decision to join Christendom two years
earlier. I must admit it was the less-than-lofty spirit
of adventure that moved me. To all appearances, Christendom
was a risky venture – not even survival through the
first semester was assured. But I had the hunch we would
make a go of it – because of Warren Carroll’s
determination and perseverance, because of the need for
and nobility of the enterprise, and because of God’s
special watchfulness over fools (including Fools for Christ)
– and I wanted to be part of the adventure and the
fun. My strongest reason was the regret I would have to
live with if Christendom succeeded and I was not a part
of it, a feeling I now recognize as God’s way of letting
me know where He wanted me.
I
am trying to imagine where I would be right now if I were
not part of Christendom, and it is not a happy place. Who
would want to live a life without the amazing Christendom
students who actually WANT to learn (even philosophy), without
my talented, generous, and fun-loving colleagues, and without
all the wonderful friends I have because of Christendom
(including my marvelous husband and our resultant progeny)?
As
a parent now of Christendom students, I give thanks to all
who have helped build Christendom: my colleagues, our students
(past and present) and their parents, and our ever-generous
benefactors. But most especially we all owe a special debt
of gratitude to the earliest supporters of the Christendom
dream: the initial group of donors, advisors, friends, and
prospective parents without whom the dream would not have
become reality. GOD IS GOOD!”
with Matt Hadro
Christendom
Sports: A New Era
As
everyone on campus settles in after the summer of '07, there
are quite a number of new faces. Including a new Athletic
Director.
The
Christendom Athletic Department saw the passing on of the
torch to a new era, from father to son. Mr. Tom Vander Woude
stepped down from his position last spring, after years
of fine service to the school. He will be missed, especially
for his ever-friendly demeanor around the office.
But
what do we know about the new guy, Mr. Chris Vander Woude?
Chris
is an alumnus of Christendom ('02). He and his wife, Katy
(Hadro) Vander Woude, newly-married, reside in nearby Stephens
City, VA. When Chris attended college here, his extra-curricular
life consisted chiefly of sports. He played all the men's
club sports available (Basketball, Baseball, Soccer), and
he also participated in intramural Volleyball.
Basketball
was Chris' biggest love when it came to sports at college,
though. As a four-year guard for Christendom, he averaged
roughly 17 points per game and 5 assists. In the 1999-2000
season, he led the Crusaders to victories over Division
III schools Mary Washington University, UNC-Greenville,
and the biggest of them all, Shenandoah University.
He
coached the men's soccer team and worked for the Admissions
Office in the year after his graduation. He resided in the
Northern Virginia area, coaching basketball at Seton High
School in Manassas in his spare time. After 4 years of coaching
the Junior Varsity squad, the opportunity finally came for
something bigger.
"I
was definitely excited once it all worked out," he
said, reminiscing on his schocked reaction to hearing the
news of the opening at Christendom for the Athletic Director
position.
Among
his qualifications are the facts that he has not only coached
soccer and basketball before, which are roles that he will
fulfill at the College, but he has also experienced the
life of a Christendom athlete.
"I
know what kind of student you need to be," he said
of the combination of academic and athletic lives at the
school.
And
he is also excited for the upcoming sports seasons. For
soccer, he expects to go at least .500 on the seaon, noting
that some close losses last year prevented the team from
reaching its full potential in the win-loss column.
Through
all the rigors and challenges of such a position, however,
Chris is determined to establish a winning program in his
years as Athletic Director and coach at Christendom.
This
story was adapted from The Rambler, Christendom College's
Student Journal.
with
Mr. Tom McFadden, Director of Admissions
This
week, although many questions were sent in, I wanted to
take the time to introduce to you the two newest members
of the Admissions Office at Christendom.
The
Admissions Office experienced some changes over the summer
months. Lesly Bratt ‘04 served as the Admissions Office
Secretary and High School Summer Program Coordinator for
the past three years. Although she thoroughly enjoyed working
at Christendom, she wanted to move back home to spend time
with her many younger siblings and her parents. Margaret
Ginski ‘05 worked as an Admissions Counselor for the
past two years and was responsible for arranging visits
and processing applications. Margaret left because she is
planning on getting married in December to a young man named
Scottie Kay. I wish them both well. In fact, I will be the
photographer at their wedding so, maybe, if Margaret doesn't
mind, I can slip one of their photos into the Chronicler
sometime in January. We'll see what happens.
But
now to the exciting part! Joining the Admissions Office
team are two very competent young ladies: Angela McNeely
and Annie Clark. I have known them for the past four
years while they were students and have been very impressed
with their abilities and their love for Christendom College.
Annie
graduated from Christendom this past May with a B.A. in
English Language and Literature and now works as an Admissions
Counselor, processing applications, telephoning prospective
students, and will be coordinating the 2008 High School
Summer Program. She is the 3rd of 5 children and is originally
from Pennsylvania, where her father serves as the Headmaster
of St. Gregory's Academy, a small boarding school for boys
located near Scranton, PA. Her next younger brother, David,
is currently a sophomore here at Christendom.
Angela
will graduate from Christendom in May of 2008. Having attended
Christendom for the past three and a half years, all she
has left to complete is her Theology thesis. She is responsible
for answering phone and email inquiries, sending out information
packets, and arranging visits to the campus. She would've
graduated in May with Annie, but it ended up that her brother
was being ordained to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
on the very same day as she was supposed to graduate. She
figured that her family, if given the choice, would probably
opt for attending the ordination of now-Father Matthew McNeely,
FSSP. She was right! Angela is the 5th of 12 children and
the second to attend Christendom. She is originally from
Canada but has been living in Nebraska for many years.
Both
Annie and Angela were homeschooled prior to attending Christendom.
And
lastly, I want to make mention that my former Assistant
Director of Admissions, Niall O'Donnell, is still
with us, but his new title is Assistant Director of Public
Relations and Marketing and will not have much to do with
the Admissions Office per se. But, he will remain
the Managing Editor of The Chronicler Online, although
I have had to serve this function this week because he and
his wife, Sherry, just welcomed little Jude Anthony O'Donnell
into the world this past Wednesday, and as such, he is taking
off a little time to be with his first-born and his wife.
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
