This issue of The Crusader is one I meet with bittersweet welcome. Hereby deemed "The Father McFarland Issue," this week's paper is a respite from the not-always-interesting news that usually fills it by celebrating Father McFarland and marking the end of an era in Holy Cross' history in which he presided.

Behold the Brilliant Brains

 I would love to preface this piece by extending my sincerest thanks and appraisals to Father McFarland for his modest aura, his charisma, and ultimately for being an exemplary human being—embodying the values upon which we, the crusaders, take pride in.

    Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to Father McFarland. Unfortunately, I cannot devote an entire article to him. I cannot do so because I, as a transfer student and technically only in my second year at Holy Cross, have not been blessed to know him for the amount of time that other students and my junior peers have.

Pass It On, Holy Cross, Pass It On

   Henry Miller, an American novelist and playwright, once said, "One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of seeing things." Being only one short week away from reaching a destination of my own – that is, graduation – I can easily recognize that my way of seeing things has most assuredly been altered in the past four years I have spent at Holy Cross.

  When I came to Holy Cross in the fall of 2007, I imagined the role of a college president to be one of prestige and great responsibility. The president of a college is tasked with overseeing a number of departments, reporting to the board, and general administration.

A Reflection from Student Affairs

   As Father McFarland completes his tenure as the 31st president of the College, the Division of Student Affairs desired to present him with a gesture of our sincere appreciation for his exemplary leadership and service to the College over the past 12 years.

Although many schools and public offices are closed today due to the Federal Holiday—Veterans Day—in many ways, I am glad that Holy Cross has opted to remain open and to continue holding classes. After all, had today been the beginning of a three day weekend, the true significance of the day might have unfortunately been neglected even more than usual.

Ask a few of my close friends and they'll tell you I take a strange amount of pride in being an English major. Most of the time I enjoy the jokes that come along with being one. An undergraduate degree is a rather odd thing to identify oneself with, I know, but indeed there are worse things.

   The student body received an email on Oct. 28 advising students that it would be unwise to venture off-campus. The email cited unfortunate past incidents and the need to improve community and neighborhood relations. It seems contradictory to prohibit the movement of neighbors in a neighborhood in the hopes of improving neighborhood relations.

Having lived in New Hampshire my whole life, I've never been wholly surprised by the amount of snow, the numb-biting cold, or the long-lasting torturous weather that New England winters tend to bring. But, I must admit, even I was shocked when I woke up the day before Halloween to find 16 inches of snow piled outside of my home.