The Ultimate Recap of The 2018-19 Academic Year

By Noelia Veras

The 2018-19 academic year has certainly been one for the school’s history books. This year was full of thrilling triumphs and some tough losses, but if anything is certain, it is that Catholic University definitely had a lot to say about it and grew together as a community because of it.

During the last days of August freshman experienced the journey of orientation and prevailed through the chaos and thrill of “Playfair.” After orientation, the school year kicked off with classes and the first events of the year on campus. September began hopeful, with many students actively engaging in bettering the Catholic U community by standing against the abuses and incidents that were surfacing about the Church. Many masses were held on campus and nationwide to honor survivors.

John McCain’s death was one of the first public losses that struck various students; many even attended his funeral. Additionally, many Cardinals were blindsided when hearing the news of Mac Miller’s death. Several students mourned and still grieve over the loss of such a talented artist.

September also marked the start of heavy-duty construction on campus for the Metro walkway in the Parini Plaza and for the Green Initiative. This construction has yet to be finished on campus and many Catholic University students have been affected by the construction in their daily lives. Capital Fest also happened towards the end of September and took a new and unique spin that many people did not like, by being held inside and by inviting a DJ instead of the normal headlining artist.

Campus was bustling in the first weekend of October with over 2,000 registrants attending Family Weekend. SGA held its first meeting of the academic year and social work graduate students planned a protest against the dean who tweeted insensitive comments against a woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

October was also great for the sports teams at Catholic University, especially the women’s cross country team that was ranked 6th in the Southeast Region. Catholic also hosted Halloween on Campus event where professors and their families from the Brookland community went trick-or-treating around campus and participated in activities with different student organizations.

November began with the midterm elections and students on campus were volunteering for it and talking about it ceaselessly. On November 11th, the Catholic University community lost an incredible student and overall human being with the passing of sophomore Daniel Midwinter. His impact on the Catholic University campus is undeniable and we will forever remember him for the incredible life that he lived.

November also marked a time of progress on campus. In the Pryzbyla Center, the old dining room was completely renovated into a new tech hub for the ESports organization at Catholic University. A brand new club was also formed called Independent CUA which was made to create a more accepting atmosphere for political debate and bipartisanship. A new entrepreneurship class was also added to the course list for the Spring semester of 2019, which turned out filling up.

December was extremely newsworthy even though students only spent half the month on campus. The women’s rugby team went to nationals and got 2nd place, and the former chairman for the department of Media and Communications Studies was publicly dismissed by the University for an alleged inappropriate relationship.

January was also very busy with the March for Life, Women’s March, and the prolonged government shutdown. Additionally, the final day of January marked the official opening of Maloney Hall, the newly-renovated building for the Busch School of Business.

Once again, the Catholic University community was struck by loss as junior Chris Crafa died in the beginning of January. There were limited words that could properly memorialize the entirety of Crafa’s life and the impact he left on campus. His teammates on the swimming and diving team swam in his honor during Landmark Conferences, which they won for the third year in a row. His life will not be forgotten at Catholic University.

In February, President Garvey launched the Catholic Project, an initiative to actively help with the current concerns in the Catholic church regarding abuse. The Catholic University also held the annual Build a Bae event that facilitated a fun and light-hearted Valentines event.

On Saturday, February 16, Catholic University hosted Cardinal Preview Day and more than 2,000 people visited campus. Prospective students marveled at campus life at Catholic U as students came together to host a great day for visitors.  

Additionally, the new organization CUA Project Arts hosted a viewing of the Oscars on campus with many students in attendance. The Catholic University community at large was directly involved with the winner of Best Motion Picture “The Green Book,” because the musician Donald Shirley, whom the movie was based on, graduated from Catholic University in 1953.

Founder’s Day Ball was in Heritage Hall this year unlike most years due to inclement weather. About 500 people showed up to this year’s ball to celebrate the founding of the University. The event was held on the same day as Odyssey Day, as usual, which had a very great turnout of prospective students as well.

In April, perhaps one of the most heated SGA meetings transpired. Senators met to rule on whether or not pornography should be band on the Wi-Fi. After several testimonies from the public and a long debate, the ruling was clear and the ban was passed in SGA and is waiting on approval from university administration..

This year has seen a lot, from changes in Cardinal Station that lead to student confusion, to the sidewalks and our prized Pryzbyla Lawn being dug up for construction purposes. As the end of this year draws near and Cardinal Palooza being just around the corner, it is important to remember and reflect on the highs and lows that Catholic University has felt as a community. Catholic U had some huge losses which can never be remedied, but the University remains resilient. Ultimately, this institution is a sum of its people and the things that they do, and this year definitely showed the incredible people at Catholic University. The 2018-19 academic year will not be forgotten.