Month: November 2023

Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! The holiday season is approaching fast, and I thought I’d take the time with about three weeks left of the fall semester (!!!) to reflect on what I’m thankful for at Holy Cross.

First and foremost, it is the people. Always. Even if the way I’m thankful for them has changed, the people I’ve met and relationships I’ve formed at Holy Cross will always be insurmountably important to me in how I’ve grown and changed as a person, and how much my time at Holy Cross has meant to me.

This past weekend, I was reminded of how special these friendships are when we held a surprise birthday party for one of our friends, who was truly shocked and appreciative at what we had done. The next day, after spending the last couple hours slowly getting colder and colder at the football game against Georgetown (we won!! what a great way to end the season!), we all piled into a friend’s warm (parked!) car, oftentimes two to a seat, and enjoyed a meal together.

I can always count on these people to host a movie night, strike up a conversation at Kimball, support me in my passions, and most of all, be there whenever I need it. I’ve mentioned before how the girls I dance with have been so so supportive and kind as I embark on my dance journey, and I could not be more thankful for their enthusiasm and encouragement.

Additionally, the religious community I’ve found at Holy Cross has been an unbelievable blessing. Rehearsals for Lessons & Carols remind me of how special these events are as they bring the whole Holy Cross community together to celebrate the upcoming holiday season. Weeknights spent in adoration or weekends spent at Mass remind me of the close friendships I’ve made with people who share similar beliefs and values. However, although Holy Cross is a Catholic school, this does not mean that it is unwelcoming to other students. The mission of Holy Cross is to be people for and with others, and this is primarily achieved through our emphasis on community and service (SPUD, Community Based Learning, Spring Break Immersion), which is open to everyone — not through the exclusion of non-Catholic students at Mass or other celebrations.

Finally, being a tour guide allows me to step back once a week and be reminded of why I love Holy Cross so much — and why I chose it in the first place. Saying hi to my friends in passing as I give a tour takes me back to when I was a junior in high school and being on a friendly campus like Holy Cross was all I wanted. Being in the chapel and watching families react to its gorgeous interior makes me think of my own tour of Holy Cross, where my mom and I reacted just as excitedly (if not more) at the idea of practicing my faith in such a sacred, intimate and beautiful space.

To make a long story short, I am still in thanks and awe at how Holy Cross has exceeded my expectations both academically and personally during my first three semesters on the Hill. As December rolls around the corner, bringing along the celebration of the Advent season, I have no doubt that the final three weeks of the semester will be just as blessed as the first, and the community of Holy Cross will continue to shower me with love.

As always, thank you for reading — wishing you a safe, happy & healthy Thanksgiving!

 

Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a fun, safe and spooky Halloween! Though I can’t believe it’s November and we are more than halfway done with the semester, it has been quite a busy and blessed past few weeks! Crazily enough, I’ve already started thinking about course selections for the spring semester, which is super exciting, and plans for study abroad have been the talk of the town amongst the members of the sophomore class. Despite all of this, I’ve still found the time to slow down and spend time with my friends, whether it be through game nights, movie nights, girlie nights (if you know, you know) and meals at Kimball. (And to all who are curious, the crusade for group gym sessions has slowly but surely fizzled out.)

A few weeks ago, I had the joy of seeing my family on campus for Family Weekend, where, despite the downpour, we enjoyed the football game, played games in Hogan, reconnected with many of my friends and their families, and enjoyed a meal at Kimball (an object of utter fascination to my family). The highlight of the day, though, was having my family in the audience of the dance ensemble performance, where the musical theatre class and I danced to “Welcome to the Moulin Rouge!” and the entire ensemble closed out the performance with a dance to a melody of songs from the Barbie movie. Being able to share the stage with my friends as I performed, and knowing that my friends and family were in the audience cheering me on, made this moment an incredibly special one for sure. I am so thankful that I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try out for the dance ensemble, as I’ve made so many great friends, surrounded myself with such a supportive community, and enjoyed my return to performing onstage more than I could have possibly imagined.

The dance ensemble is scheduled to perform again at a benefit show in February, but until then, I’ve been busying myself with involvements such as SPUD (Student Programs for Urban Development) and rehearsals for Holy Cross’ annual Lessons & Carols. This year, I’ll be singing in the choir, and I am looking forward to participating in such a cherished celebration alongside members of the greater Holy Cross community.

Finally, this weekend, I was able to see the Holy Cross Department of Theatre & Dance put on a performance of The Good Person of Setzuan, which was outstanding, and I even helped out at the Fall Open House this morning as a tour guide! I am always more than welcome to answer any questions you may have about Holy Cross – my tours and blog posts are a way for prospective students and families to get a sense of what life at Holy Cross is like, and I would love everyone to discover what they love about Holy Cross like I did!

See you all again soon – thanks for reading!