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May 22 was a brilliant and
crisp morning on Mount St. James. The day was beautiful and
wonderful for the entire College
community. After all, it was Commencement Day, a new beginning
for the class of 1998. I would like to extend a hearty congratulations
and "Welcome Aboard" to the new members of our alumni association.
The theme for the morning, first stated by the class Valedictorian
Nicholas A. Kenney and then by the featured Speaker, Maria
Shriver of NBC News, was
that of communication and commitment to a goal.
Does anyone remember this classic Saturday Night Live skit? It's the
one where the chief operator of a nuclear power plant, on his last day of work
before beginning an extended vacation, gives instructions to the apprentices
who are taking his place. Smiling at them as he heads out the door, he pauses
long enough to advise them to "Remember, you can't put too much water in a
nuclear reactor."
The rest of the skit centers around the befuddled crew's anguish as they grapple
with the ambiguous meaning in those parting words. Did he mean "You mustn't
put too much water in a nuclear reactor"? Or did he really mean "there is no
limit to the amount of water you can put in a nuclear reactor"? The vacation-bound
chief operator knew what he meant, but his unfortunate choice of words failed
to get that meaning across to his staff.
Let's take a look at the concept of communication. An individual's personal
life is dependent upon his facility for making his thoughts, feelings and
needs known to others and on his receptiveness to the attempts of others
to share
similar ideas with him. Communication can be considered in simplistic terms
as the sending and receiving of messages. Both elements must be present for
communication to take place. The fundamental transaction of message sent
and received does not, however, presuppose that meaningful communication
has occurred.
Often, a variety of circumstances contributes to a breakdown
in communication. An analogy may help to clarify the concept of the effect of
circumstances on
the effectiveness of sending and receiving messages.
In the late afternoon when you observe a sunset, the sun
often appears to be a deeper red, larger and less intense
than at midday. This
is due to the
phenomenon
of refraction, the bending of the light rays as they pass through
the earth's
atmosphere, and the higher density of dust in the air through which
the light passes as the sun goes down. The sun has already moved
below the horizon,
but it is still in sight because its emissions are distorted by the
conditions of the medium through which they must travel.
In a similar way the messages that we send to each other
are often refracted by intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental conditions
that contribute
to the atmosphere in which we are relating. I may distort my messages to
you by giving out mixed messages orally and symbolically, and you may distort
what
you hear because of your own needs and experiences. The two of us also may
be located in an environment, physical and psychological, which contributes
to the difficulty of clearly sharing what we intend.
When we are attempting to communicate with another person
we are giving out two sets of messages simultaneously, content and relationship.
The other person
may be so preoccupied with hearing any cues about the latter that the content
is lost or seriously refracted. For example, a supervisor tells his assistant
that he has a set of instructions for him and that he wants him to be sure
that he gets them right. If he is insecure in his relationship with him,
he may hear an implication that he is being evaluated negatively. Consequently,
he may distort his hearing of the instructions.
The means of alleviating the conditions that interfere
with the communications process are as varied as the individuals who must deal
with them. The key,
however, is in becoming aware of the conditions that are interfering with
the process and attempting to modify behavior in such a way that messages are
refracted
less often and less severely.
Over the last year, our Alumni Association has attempted
to modify the conditions that interfere with how we as alumni communicate with
one another technologically
and philosophically.
From a technological view, two important communication
innovations were introduced to the GAA this academic year,
teleconferencing and the Internet. In 1997 the
Holy Cross Alumni Club of Greater Washington, D.C., set
the pace for our regional clubs by being the first to develop
a web page specifically devoted
to club
activities. Bill Welhelm and Mike Kennedy have clearly
demonstrated how to revitalize a regional club by using technology
as a method for communicating
with alumni who are living in a large geographical area.
Because of the success in using the Internet for mailing
club notices, additional sites are now
in operation in Boston and New York. Additional sites will
be available next year.
Last December, a teleconference
was held with our regional club presidents across the country.
Hopefully in the near future teleconferencing will be used
as a method for providing a forum for all interested alumni
to participate in a variety of GAA education and business
discussion groups.
From a philosophical view, the Bishop Healy Committee, under the leadership
of Joe Reilly '55, has elevated the alumni association's interaction in the
increasingly diverse, cross-cultural setting that is part of the Holy Cross
and American mosaic. Beginning in August of this past academic year, with the
arrival of the class of 2001, the Healy Committee was involved in a day-by-day
process of facilitating meetings, programs, and receptions that brought together
the various cultural groups that compose the Holy Cross community. Of particular
note in our attempt to achieve racial and cultural harmony for our community
was the Town Meeting for students, alumni, faculty and administrators that
occurred this past February. I strongly urge you to attend our next Healy Town
Meeting.
My year as president of the GAA is now over. I would
like to thank all alumni, friends and especially my family in achieving the goals
that were outlined
in the August/ September edition of this magazine.
As always, alumni of the College are welcome to attend and participate in the board
meetings of the General Alumni Association. Meetings are held three times a
year on the Saturday morning of Fall Homecoming, Winter Homecoming, and Reunion
Weekend.
I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on,
Sept 26, 1998, at 9 a.m.
Please send me your ideas and/or comments either in care of the Holy
Cross Alumni Relations Office or via the Internet at ONECRUSADER@EARTHLINK.NET.
PAX
From One Crusader to Another
Walter Roy '72
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