Name: Colleen Harrington
Age: 19
Year: Freshman
From: Pearl City, IL
Major: Undecided
Hobbies? Drawing, walks, piano, spending time with all the unique people here, learning philosophy, making people smile, and hanging out with my best friend and sister, Mary.
What's your favorite class? Though there are so many, I'd have to say Philosophy with Dr. Cuddeback. The material is so rich, but at the same time not too difficult to understand. I leave each class with a very thrilled feeling and a desire to take in more. He presents everything in such a profound way.
Do you play any sports? I enjoy playing baseball with my brothers and the rest of my family back home. On fall break, my little godson, Timmy, insisted on teaching me how to throw the football correctly—it was a riot.
Do you participate in any drama or music related activities? I play the piano and was privileged to be a part of Piano Night and St. Cecilia's Night.
What is your favorite thing about Christendom? What impresses me is the many opportunities to grow and mature as a person. We have the luxury of daily Mass and confession, holy priests to keep us in line, wonderful people to be around, devoted teachers, dances, and so much more.
Why did you choose Christendom? Christendom was my top choice for many reasons—most importantly seeing what it did for my friends and even my mother. Christendom is helping me to become more balanced. The primary focus here is on spiritual growth. Without that internal peace it would be difficult to enjoy the good things around us.
Plans after graduation? Right now I am not sure, but I hope it will become more clear in the next couple years.

Up!

Friday night laughter filled the basement of the John Paul the Great Student Center, as students sat back and enjoyed the Pixar film Up. The movie, which was a huge hit this summer, was filled with great, light comedy and had an amazing soundtrack. The SAC (Student Activities Council) made agreat choice in the film, providing a great way for students to unwind. Even students who had already seen the film enjoyed it.

“It's good! I saw it this summer with my sister and I even enjoyed it even more the second time,” Sophomore Rob Fetsko said.

St. Cecilia's Night

Last Saturday the SAC hosted St. Cecilia’s Night in the St. Lawrence Commons. The annual talent-show style production showcases some of the many accomplished musicians who attend Christendom. The night included such performances as a string trio by the Haislmaier brothers (Junior Karl and Freshman Paul) and Sophomore Melanie Bright, and an eloquent piano piece played by Stephen Tomlinson.

For two hours, students, professors, and parents were fed body and soul by the musical banquet that was St. Cecilia’s.

“I’m always astounded by how much of Christendom’s hidden talent emerges during these music nights," Sophomore Catherine Marra said. “It is truly invigorating, refreshing, and rejuvenating to be able to more fully appreciate the musical prowess of my classmates."

Sophomore Clare Behe sang "Be Thou My Vision."


Sophomore Eryn Landry performed "On My Own" from Les Miserables.


Scottish folk tunes were performed by Sophomores Sairey Miller, Mary Pondo, and Daniel Beller.


Senior Cyrus Artz was accompanied by Senior Matt Lancaster for a piece by Handel.


Klosterman siblings, Freshman Gloria and Junior David, sang a duet in Italian and English.


Freshman Max Hess played piano to accompany a number of vocal performances.


Fine beverages and snacks where served at intermission.

The Uniqueness of Music in Western Civilization

Sunday night the Beato Fra Angelico Series hosted a talk presented by Dr. Kurt Poterack on the “Uniqueness of Music in Western Civilization”. He spoke on the four main characteristics of music in Western civilization: the control of the composer, the exact notational system, Augenmusik (which he described as sight music), and finally the harmonies used. The audience learned much and appreciated the opportunity to discover more about the origins of Western music.

Prose & Poetry

Monday night the upper balcony of the library was filled with eager listeners, excited to hear readings of poetry and prose, including some original pieces by faculty and students.

Some original works were read by Associate Librarian Mr. Stephen Pilon, Seniors Daniel Harrison and Gregory Gassman, Juniors Peter O’Dwyer and James Wynn, Sophomores P.J. Freeman and Seth Riggio, along with joint presentations by Senior Paul Wilson and Freshman John Schoffield. There were also presentations by Library Assistant Mickey Krebs, Literature Professor Dr. Robert Rice, Library Director Andrew Armstrong, and Freshman Hannah Graves.

Mrs. Krebs was very impressed by the students talent. Sophomore Seth Riggio agreed, exclaiming, “We should do this every month!”

The evening was followed with an assortment of refreshments in a side room of the library.

Sophomore P. J. Freeman reads an original prose piece.

Giving Blood

The gym was filled with generous Christendom students striving to be like Christ and literally give of themselves—donating blood for the Red Cross blood drive. Students came not only to give blood, but to be supportive of those doing so. Sophomore Emily Hurt, though not giving blood herself, was there to support her roommate by escorting her and making sure she got enough snacks afterwards.

“I want to make sure nothing happens to her!” Emily said.

There was a great turnout with a steady flow of students, which made this semester's blood drive very successful. This is just one of the many ways Christendom students seek to reach out to our local community.

A Red Cross volunteer reviews information with Sophomore Leah Merrill before drawing blood.

Royal Cinemas

The Royal Cinemas Theater in Front Royal has been a source of entertainment for Christendom movie-goers for over 15 years. The theater’s location downtown on Main Street makes it easily accessible to students. The theater is able to avoid long lines and show first-run movies, making it the perfect place to hangout and catch the latest flick.

“The screen is huge and the sound is great. If I’m going to watch a movie, that would be the first place on my list,” Senior Seth Elmenhurst said.

The Theater has hosted special events for the college in the past and has also been the premier location for films by Mirandum Pictures, a production company started by Christendom Alumni.

On the theater’s website, movie times are available for viewing as well as information on parties, gift cards, and even how to get there.


Sophomores Grace Bellow and Phil O'Neill pose for a photo in front of Royal Cinemas.

The 10th Anniversary of Crusader Gymnasium

The fall of 1998 saw the opening of the Crusader Gymnasium here on the campus of Christendom, so I thought it would be fitting to offer a few thoughts and memories of the past 10 years.

The enrollment, now hovering at 400, has nearly doubled since the gymnasium opened its doors and with it the activities in the gym have also drastically increased. From only having 5 club sports to the present of 9 intercollegiate varsity sports with hope to add 2 more in the next few years: women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s rugby are all being newly added to the Christendom Athletic experience. As enrollment increases so has the intramural program at the college, from having a few tournaments throughout the year to now having 5 regular intramural seasons, all of which occur within the walls of the gym. When all is said and done, at the end of a given year over half of the student body will have played either an intramural sport or a varsity sport here at Christendom.

The varsity sports have enjoyed their fair share of great memories and players throughout the short 10-year history of the gymnasium. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have scored victories over Division III opponents such as Wilson College, Mary Washington University, Franciscan University, and Shenandoah University. Many men have broken into the 1,000 point club in the past 10 years while playing basketball in this gym.

So hopefully this gives you a glimpse of what can happen in 10 years and what we have been able to experience here at Christendom in this great facility. We look forward to another 10 years of great games and lasting memories here inside Crusader Gymnasium!


Celebrating 10 years: St. Louis the Crusader Memorial Gymnasium.

Final Days in the Eternal City

Time has flown by for the students here, and with the last week of classes already upon us, we are reminded that all good things must come to an end.

Faced with the thought of leaving Rome in a week, I cannot help but think about all the things that I will miss and may not have appreciated fully. I am living in Rome and, if that is not enough, I am learning about my Catholic faith in one of the most holy cities in the world.

Yesterday, while walking back from class, an American tourist asked me for directions. She inquired about my stay in Rome and she was in awe when I told her that we study right next to the Vatican. After talking to that woman, I realized how special and lucky we are to have this opportunity. Living and studying among all the history and sacredness of Rome—with our close friends, no less—has been an enormous blessing that God has willed for each one of us.

With the time remaining, Ive made plans to make a Seven Church Pilgrimage, go to a ballet, and eat as much gelato as possible. Though everyone has their own final plans and "to-do" list, it seems one would take an eternity to see everything in the Eternal City. Therefore, to make the most of our remaining time in Rome, I think it might be fruitful to just simply sit in St. Peter’s Square, any piazza, or even a friendly street and relish the atmosphere.

After being in Rome for three months, I have grown used to the many people, places, sounds, and smells, which at first were very foreign and overwhelming. I have grown patient with the many tourists blocking the sidewalks and the noisy European siren from the Italian ambulances. I will miss the blue color of St. Peter’s dome and how at nighttime Vatican City manages to be very quiet and still. There are many characteristics my classmates and I will miss about Rome, but right now we are getting ready for finals and preparing for not being home this Thanksgiving.

No matter how ready or not we are to go home, each one of us knows that living in Rome has been one of the most unbelievable experiences imaginable.


We were able to attend beatifications and canonizations in St. Peter's Square.


St. Peter's is so peaceful and still at night.


Revisiting some of our favorite spots.


Many nights the guys lead us in our favorite songs up on our rooftop-terrace.





Q. When’s the best time to take my SATs? Does it matter if I take them more than once? Does Christendom take the highest scores in each section and add them together? Any information you can give me would be quite helpful.

A. First of all, my recommendation is that students take the SAT or ACT as early as the end of their Sophomore year in high school, but definitely in their Junior year. The reason I say this is that many people do not do very well their first time taking these tests. Maybe they are scared or nervous, maybe they had a bad night sleep or were sick. In any case, it is important to take the test one time and get the jitters out of your system and also to determine how much work you are going to need to do to perform better the next time around.

The tests normally cost about $40. It is well worth the money to take the test three or four times, because, at least at Christendom, we take the best score in the Math section, the best in the Reading section, and the best in the Writing section to determine your SAT score. Unfortunately, for the ACT, we only take the best composite score that is recorded and do not do any type of mixing and matching.

Christendom College bases its academic merit scholarships on SAT or ACT scores, primarily. If a student gets above a 1920 on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT (and has at least a 3.0 GPA), automatically, they will receive a minimum scholarship of $2800 a semester off tuition for all four years. And depending on how high the score is, they will receive even more FREE money. So, unless money grows on trees wherever you’re from, I suggest investing the $120 – $160 to take the standardized tests 3 or 4 times, in the hopes that free money will be your reward.

Waiting until Senior year, as many do, may cause some problems because if you end up doing poorly on the tests, then you don’t have much time to do anything about it. But if you take the test in your Junior year, then at least you have the whole summer to brush up on whatever it is that is getting you down.

I hope this helps and study hard.

Director of Admissions
tmcfadden@christendom.edu
800.877.5456 ext. 1290

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.