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Post by sader1970 on Jun 9, 2021 8:17:53 GMT -5
Anyone else join in the Zoom last night for the remote farewell for Fr. B? Interested in reactions. They were recording it and assume they will communicate how others who weren't on live can watch it later.
As you might imagine, there was a video of lots of people thanking him for his years of service. What struck me is that while there were lots of current students expressing their gratitude to him, outside of those alums who are on the BoT and some of the big donors, there were practically no (maybe none?) rank & file alums, at least not that I could tell.
Fr. B is going to take 6 weeks to go to a hideaway in Vermont courtesy of, I think he said a Board member (I neglected to take notes). He also plans to head to Seattle to spend time with his family there who he says he hasn't seen in 2 years. He'll be back for the inauguration of his successor (October, IIRC, again no notes) and he is hoping to go back to Kenya if the pandemic allows and, of course, depending on what the provincial has in store for him [let's remember, he's "on loan" to the Northeast province so he's not referring to HC alum provincial O'Keefe].
That should be enough to get this thread/discussion going.
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Post by mm67 on Jun 9, 2021 13:41:09 GMT -5
"Ave Atque Vale" IMO Fr. Boroughs was an extremely effective leader during a difficult time of change on Mt. St. James. His type of farsighted leadership was long overdue at HC. He has been a great success during his term of office! His presidency successfully navigated a number of difficult , painful controversies. Under his leadership the College overcame & prospered. Fr. Boroughs recognized old paradigms were not sufficient to grow HC. And, he successfully dealt with opposition from some who for whatever reason were opposed to the changes he brought to the College. His efforts to open up HC, break away from past issues and bring The College into the modern world have altered the life of the school forever. He has overseen & encouraged the hiring of bright, young, talented professionals who have energized HC and help usher the College into a new world. He has attempted to open up HC to a much more diverse student body. He oversaw and attracted funding for the construction of a number of impressive buildings which have added and will continue to add new dimensions to the lives of HC's students in the present and far into the future. He has maintained & improved the beauty of our renowned campus while changing the face of HC forever. And, during a difficult time for SLACs, Fr. Boroughs has been an extraordinary fund raiser and grown our endowment to record levels. HC is in a stronger financial position today due in large part to the wise, steady leadership of Fr. Boroughs. Thanks to his efforts in corralling a constituency HC will be forever changed. Look at HC today and you see a new & improved College with a revitalized campus filled with promise & more beautiful than ever. And he has accomplished all this while still maintaining HC's commitment to its Catholic, Jesuit core. The mission statement of graduating men & women for others is more alive today than ever. He leaves HC a far better place. And, most important HC has become a PL football powerhouse under his watch! Basketball success is most certainly on the horizon.  He has been a quietly confident and wise leader. He has exemplified the Jesuit tradition of a man for others. Fr. Boroughs has been an extraordinary leader. And, for this I am grateful. mm'67 |
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Post by princetoncrusader on Jun 9, 2021 14:51:27 GMT -5
I listened to the Zoom event and thought it was well done, especially the video and Fr. B's remarks at the end. I think your notes are spot on Sader1970. I think the date of Vince's inauguration (or it installation?) will be Oct. 22.
I got to know Fr. B a bit through the Prez Council. He really seemed to grow into the job. I found him to be a humble and warm person. Not sure what he is like as day to day manager of a complex organization as the modern day LAC. As mm67 notes, he was indeed a successful fund raiser. (BTW, one of the development office professionals told me the other day that results for this fiscal year are going quite well.)
It is my impression that the College moved leftward under his watch (dumping of the Crusader mascot, pronoun choices in emails, focus on DEI, etc.). Not sure how much of this was his doing as opposed to how much came from the trustees and the general crosscurrents in academia.
As a sidenote, a former lax coach told me that he was quite supportive of the program.
I wish him well as he moves into the next phase of his life, which will no doubt be a lot less stressful.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jun 9, 2021 16:24:41 GMT -5
I thought that several tributes by key speakers, e.g., the chair of the BoT, were spoken with genuine feeling and emotion, almost to a sense of personal loss. I doubt that Fr. McF would have evoked similar emotions, certainly not Reedy, and not Brooks I think more than one speaker remarked that Fr. B took on a pastoral role, and was a superb listener. And IIRC, the Luths said they had confidence in his leadership, which is key if you are trying to shake the money tree.. He will be the third Jesuit President of a college or university to 'leave' this year. The President of the University of Scranton died, the President of Santa Clara resigned at the direction of the provincial, and Fr. B. I have long speculated that Fr. Linehan, the President of Loyola MD is slotted for BC, and if my hunch plays out, he will likely be the last Jesuit President of Loyola. Von Arx, the former President of Fairfield, who was previously speculated as a possible President of HC, is marked by that school's sponsorship of a school in Haiti where rampant abuse of students occurred. www.ctpost.com/news/article/Fairfield-University-claims-insurance-company-15902331.phpWould not surprise me if Fr. B., a year from now, is given a role at Santa Clara. Critical school for the Jesuits, billionaire alums. |
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Post by sader1970 on Jun 9, 2021 17:00:37 GMT -5
From a direct personal conversation with the highest source, I know that there were a number of trustees that were against the mascot/logo change, apparently vigorously so. If you recall, it was publicly stated that the Board's direction to Fr. B was to change what the mascot/logo looked like (apparently to be less "offensive"), not to eliminate it. Fr. B eliminated it ostensibly to avoid offending certain segments of the College's constituencies. Most notably some faculty and some students. At the time, I was assured by that same source that the name "Crusader" would remain as long as that person had any say in the matter which was, from memory, another 3-4 years.
When questioned whether Fr. B went beyond the direction of the Board in eliminating the mascot, the response was purposely diplomatic and this same person is on the video highly praising Fr. B. I left that conversation with little doubt this was not a Board decision but the president's and while some on the Board didn't like it, they weren't going to publicly rebuke him. I was told that the mascot was not a "dead issue" and might be "re-visited sometime in the future" (I'm not holding my breath).
Fr. Brooks made the decision not to join the Big East and eliminate athletic scholarships. He had his reasons which many disagreed with and obviously still do.
Fr. Boroughs made the mascot and other decisions which many disagreed with. Like Brooks, Fr. Boroughs surely knew that there would be blow-back on these decisions but he was the "man in the arena" (thanks, TR). While current students and younger alums probably don't give a hoot about the mascot, many of the older, more affluent alums often do. I believe he felt he was doing the right thing and a Crusaderless Holy Cross would be more inviting to a younger more diverse generation of students and the older folks would either eventually let it blow over and certainly over time there would be fewer and fewer as they died off. I'm sure you've seen buried deep inside the athletic department's strategic plan that they are giving a priority to eliminating any vestiges of the old logos (i.e. Crusader)
That's why I was less concerned about getting a successor who was a Jesuit and more hopeful we'd get a new president with Holy Cross roots. As it turns out, we've gotten one with neither. And yet, I am actually optimistic.
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Post by sader1970 on Jun 9, 2021 17:04:32 GMT -5
One of my sons was a Fairfield during Von Arx's reign and lived in a building right across from him. From what I gather, he would have been 180 degrees different than Fr. Boroughs in terms of being pastoral, warm and welcoming.
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Post by newfieguy74 on Jul 1, 2021 8:21:18 GMT -5
I believe today is President Rougeau's first day on the job. It will be interesting to see his impact on HC as every president has an enormous impact during their tenure based on countless factors: fundraising, interaction with alums, attitude about athletics, dealings with the faculty, etc. etc. It's a really hard job. I'm feeling very optimistic about our new president. Today might be a good day to send him our best wishes, prayers, positive energy, etc.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Jul 1, 2021 12:27:53 GMT -5
Lasting legacy: pandering to SJWs to remove the Crusader mascot.
Re: fundraising praise above, thatās just part of the job, and given alumni loyalty to HC, I donāt think itās really that difficult of a task. Using the Wins Above Replacement metric from the baseball stat geeks, what did Boroughs do in fundraising that was any different than what any average replacement would have done?
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jul 1, 2021 13:25:06 GMT -5
How about the buildings added during the Boroughs administration--does he get any credit for those or was that improvement of the physical plant just in line with what prior presidents have done?
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Post by bringbackcaro on Jul 1, 2021 14:48:21 GMT -5
How about the buildings added during the Boroughs administration--does he get any credit for those or was that improvement of the physical plant just in line with what prior presidents have done? I would be willing to give credit if anyone has any examples where Boroughs actually provided influence that caused the building to go up versus things that would have happened with a statue sitting at the President's desk. For example, the "Luth" project had been in the works for years and just seemed to be missing a big donor to back the project. Did Boroughs fly down to New York to meet with the Luth family and convince them to give $40M? Was there something about Boroughs' vision for the College that inspired the Luths to make the donation? I don't know, but I doubt it. As far as residential buildings go, we didn't add any new dorms while also neutering the off-campus scene under the Boroughs administration. That's a net loss. |
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Post by newfieguy74 on Jul 1, 2021 15:39:16 GMT -5
How about the buildings added during the Boroughs administration--does he get any credit for those or was that improvement of the physical plant just in line with what prior presidents have done? I would be willing to give credit if anyone has any examples where Boroughs actually provided influence that caused the building to go up versus things that would have happened with a statue sitting at the President's desk. For example, the "Luth" project had been in the works for years and just seemed to be missing a big donor to back the project. Did Boroughs fly down to New York to meet with the Luth family and convince them to give $40M? Was there something about Boroughs' vision for the College that inspired the Luths to make the donation? I don't know, but I doubt it. As far as residential buildings go, we didn't add any new dorms while also neutering the off-campus scene under the Boroughs administration. That's a net loss. It's hard to imagine a more sour take on Fr. B's presidency. College presidents are not fungible, nor are they figureheads who look out their office windows while the college runs itself and flourishes. The job requires wearing a lot of hats and keeping a community of students, faculty, staff, and alums rowing in the same direction through skill, persistence, diplomacy, discipline, firmness, smarts, and emotional intelligence. |
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Post by hchoops on Jul 1, 2021 15:51:35 GMT -5
How about the buildings added during the Boroughs administration--does he get any credit for those or was that improvement of the physical plant just in line with what prior presidents have done? Based partly on a post here by MM67, I believe that Fr. B was at least somewhat instrumental in the finalizing of the PPAC. |
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jul 1, 2021 16:29:52 GMT -5
Will you give Fr. B credit as major renovations and a new residential town house village are in strong consideration and planning by the BOT. The cost for completion will be very expensive. Depending upon approval, and if done in stages, the final price will possibly be over $500 million. One notation I heard was substantially higher than that figure. Updated Residential Housing provides a ROI, and definitely is needed.
The Hockey Rink May have to wait until a specific gift is directed to the renovated Hockey facility.
Brother, can you spare a dime......
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Post by higheredguy on Jul 1, 2021 16:30:22 GMT -5
Anyone who worked in fundraising or administration knows that Fr. B played an immense role in many operations of the College - especially the Become More Campaign.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Jul 1, 2021 17:11:08 GMT -5
I would be willing to give credit if anyone has any examples where Boroughs actually provided influence that caused the building to go up versus things that would have happened with a statue sitting at the President's desk. For example, the "Luth" project had been in the works for years and just seemed to be missing a big donor to back the project. Did Boroughs fly down to New York to meet with the Luth family and convince them to give $40M? Was there something about Boroughs' vision for the College that inspired the Luths to make the donation? I don't know, but I doubt it. As far as residential buildings go, we didn't add any new dorms while also neutering the off-campus scene under the Boroughs administration. That's a net loss. It's hard to imagine a more sour take on Fr. B's presidency. College presidents are not fungible, nor are they figureheads who look out their office windows while the college runs itself and flourishes. The job requires wearing a lot of hats and keeping a community of students, faculty, staff, and alums rowing in the same direction through skill, persistence, diplomacy, discipline, firmness, smarts, and emotional intelligence. Nothing says keeping everyone rowing in the same direction like pandering to outside influence to remove a mascot and souring many alums to the school! He certainly showed some serious skills, firmness, etc. etc. working through that situation! |
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Post by longsuffering on Jul 1, 2021 17:20:21 GMT -5
Two thumbs up for Father B. from me. Holy Cross is a "tweener". We aren't H,Y or P and we're not Amherst or Williams but we aren't Becker or Assumption either. There are societal and economic trends working against a small Catholic all undergraduate, all liberal arts expensive four year college. Yet Father B. has led HC through uncertainty and made improvements. Vince can build on those.
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Post by longsuffering on Jul 1, 2021 17:31:38 GMT -5
It's hard to imagine a more sour take on Fr. B's presidency. College presidents are not fungible, nor are they figureheads who look out their office windows while the college runs itself and flourishes. The job requires wearing a lot of hats and keeping a community of students, faculty, staff, and alums rowing in the same direction through skill, persistence, diplomacy, discipline, firmness, smarts, and emotional intelligence. Nothing says keeping everyone rowing in the same direction like pandering to outside influence to remove a mascot and souring many alums to the school! He certainly showed some serious skills, firmness, etc. etc. working through that situation! Actually, unlike many schools who outright unconditionally surrendered to heightened sensitivity in changing times, Father B. and the Powers That Be (appearing every night in the Loungeš) successfully threaded the needle and kept the century old name while adjusting the imagery. Can you think of another college President who pulled that off? Many colleges change their logos just to try to refresh a tired brand and generate new swag sales. Father B. killed two birds (and a Knight unfortunately) with one stone. Fr. B. quietly is a great schmoozer and diplomat. I had one personal interaction with him and am a lifetime fan. |
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jul 1, 2021 18:12:28 GMT -5
Fr. B. gets credit, to varying degrees, for four major facilities. Joyce, Luth, The Jo, and PCPA. Joyce was probably in the works when he arrived. I had heard that Luth waited on a new AD and a HC commitment to athletics. Renovations to the old field house were first funded by Park Smith's wine collection, but at that time, this was about a $10M rebuild, not a $32M new building. PCPA pretty much all on his watch. Plus plans for future renovation of the older residence halls, the construction of new residence hall(s), a new Jesuit residence, and conversion of Ciampi were started when he was President.
All told, over $250M in new construction, and no Japanese tea garden.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jul 1, 2021 18:41:14 GMT -5
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Post by newfieguy74 on Jul 1, 2021 19:56:50 GMT -5
Nothing says keeping everyone rowing in the same direction like pandering to outside influence to remove a mascot and souring many alums to the school! He certainly showed some serious skills, firmness, etc. etc. working through that situation! Actually, unlike many schools who outright unconditionally surrendered to heightened sensitivity in changing times, Father B. and the Powers That Be (appearing every night in the Loungeš) successfully thread the needle and kept the century old name while adjusting the imagery. Can you think of another college President who pulled that off? Many colleges change their logos just to try to refresh a tired brand and generate new swag sales. Father B. killed two birds (and a Knight unfortunately) with one stone. Fr. B. quietly is a great schmoozer and diplomat. I had one personal interaction with him and am a lifetime fan. This is a good point. There has been no surrender at HC. I hear stories from friends at certain New England elite schools that make my head spin (students trying to dictate what books a professor uses, students refusing to come to class if the upcoming class work might be unpleasant, etc.). For the record, the mascot change has not soured this alum and I know many others who feel the same way. |
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 1, 2021 20:02:53 GMT -5
This old alum feels the change was not as bad as it might have been (given the passion and ignorance demonstrated by those trying so hard to bring it about). I hope they are not just waiting for us to die off so the "other shoe" can drop and the "woke" can inherit the earth.  |
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Post by hceconhist on Jul 1, 2021 21:11:09 GMT -5
It's hard to imagine a more sour take on Fr. B's presidency. College presidents are not fungible, nor are they figureheads who look out their office windows while the college runs itself and flourishes. The job requires wearing a lot of hats and keeping a community of students, faculty, staff, and alums rowing in the same direction through skill, persistence, diplomacy, discipline, firmness, smarts, and emotional intelligence. Nothing says keeping everyone rowing in the same direction like pandering to outside influence to remove a mascot and souring many alums to the school! He certainly showed some serious skills, firmness, etc. etc. working through that situation! It is hard to overstate the level of pressure he was under to completely gut the name. He didn't. A lot of the alumni who stopped giving were looking for a reason to, and they would have eventually found it. Also, as someone who was on campus during his early days, it's easy to forget how much pressure he was under in other areas - such as the off campus scene. To bring it back to sports, the Luth may have been conceived but that does not mean there was funding. As someone who in part works in fundraising, I can attest to how challenging it is. He and Nate Pine deserve credit for it. |
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jul 1, 2021 21:20:16 GMT -5
I am of a vintage where my friends called during the recent heat wave to perform an elderly safety check. š
Thirty years ago, while visiting Epcot at Disney World, at the England Pavillon, I purchase several Knight/Crusader figurines that I displayed in my office. I also had an email address that included crusader in the character string, as well as a vanity plate of 1 Sader on reserve with the Motor Vehicles Department.
I bleed purple then, and when I recently provided a sample to the phlebotomist for my annual physical, she remarked at the heavy tinge of purple in the sample tube.
The Crusader iconography was an image identified with celebrating times with close friends and classmates, particularly memories of sitting in the bleachers at Roberts Center, behind the BC bench, as a friend rained down insults to Pete Schmidt due to his physical and unsportsmanlike conduct against the men in purple in the winter of 1972.
But I am no longer enamored by that iconography. Symbols and branding for institutions change. Many schools have realized that symbols adopted, may no longer be in their strategic best interest for growth. For example, a school, deeply in the Bible Belt (In the Gold Buckle according to the Reverend Billy Sol Hargis) changed their mascot from the Fighting Christians to the Phoenix. Since the change, Elonās applications, particularly in the Northeast and New England have soared.
I understand the attachment to Iggy, he was a sign of strength and inspiration to many when we competed on the field and court. However his ancestors carried too much baggage for HC as well as Valparaiso (A Lutheran School, almost purchased by the Klan) to continue to carry in the 21st Century. It was not a woke mob that came after Iggy, it was his ancestors who never atoned for their misconduct years ago.
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Post by longsuffering on Jul 1, 2021 21:32:26 GMT -5
This old alum feels the change was not as bad as it might have been (given the passion and ignorance demonstrated by those trying so hard to bring it about). I hope they are not just waiting for us to die off so the "other shoe" can drop and the "woke" can inherit the earth. If the Woke try to grab the Meek's inheritance they will get beaten with a stick. |
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jul 1, 2021 21:40:58 GMT -5
Using the term āWokeā is a pejorative, and often uniformed statement to categorize a social position that one does not understand or agree.
Letās have a 360 degree review. Not always....the bread is buttered on one side of the toast.
Some decision are based on oneās morality and ethics, other purely utilitarian based on a CBA. The reasons for the HC decision may appear or depend on oneās personal and family history. I cannot trace any of my ancestors to manning the ramparts in defending the Western Wall, so the iconography has less family and emotional meaning to me than others.
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