Assumption to Honor Veterans With Remembrance Ceremony & Lecture

Thursday, November 08, 2018

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Assumption to honor veterans with remembrance ceremony & lecture

With Veterans Day approaching, Assumption College will honor the contributions of veterans with two events.

Assumption will host a ceremony in remembrance of those who have served our country, as well as a lecture featuring a Military Gold Star father who will share the story of his son who was killed in action in Afghanistan.

The Events

Rememberance Ceremony And Dedication Of New Veterans Facility

On Thursday, November 8, Assumption College will hold held a remembrance ceremony in observance of Veterans Day, beginning at 11:30 a.m. on the piazza of the Tsotsis Family Academic Center.

Christina Stevens ’85, Colonel (ret.), USAF, will deliver the keynote speech, providing a reminder of the purpose of Veterans Day, specifically the sacrifices made by Veterans and their families.

Col. Stevens, who served in the Air Force for 27 years, is currently the senior aerospace science instructor at South High Community School in Worcester.

For the second consecutive year, the College will present “Challenge Coins” to Veterans in attendance at the Veterans Day ceremony. Members of the South High Junior ROTC will present the Colors while Assumption’s select acapella chorus, VOCE, will perform the National Anthem.

After the ceremony, the College will host a ribbon cutting and open house for a newly constructed Veterans’ space. The space on campus is only for Veterans and includes a lounge and study room complete with computers, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee.

Gold Star Father Lecture

On Tuesday, November 13, Assumption College will host Steven Xiarhos for a poignant dialogue dedicated to his late son, Nicholas G. Xiarhos, a Marine Corps officer killed in the line of duty while serving in Afghanistan.

The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Salon of the La Maison building on the Assumption Campus, 500 Salisbury St., Worcester

“We thank Steven for his bravery and willingness to share the moving and emotional narrative of a father and family forced to endure the loss of their son. We hope the community will appreciate Steven’s story and remember all of those families who have lost family members while serving our country,” said Susan Scully-Hill, Ph.D., associate professor of human services and rehabilitation studies.

Xiarhos now serves as a leader of Military Gold Star Families in Massachusetts, a community of families who have lost children serving in active duty, in honor of Nicholas, who was killed in action during a major firefight attack on July 23, 2009. Major General Robert Catalanotti ’80, P’11, HD’15, a retired member of the United States Army and close friend of Xiarhos, will offer a special introduction.

This event is sponsored by the Assumption College Veteran Success Committee, the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, and the Department of Human Services & Rehabilitation Studies. The lecture is free and open to the public.