Author: hcwebdev

Happy (belated) Valentine’s or Singles Awareness Day (whichever one you choose to celebrate)! St. Valentine’s weekend was actually pretty fun. The Class of 2011 hosted a semi-formal dance on Friday; the theme was Old Hollywood. Well, I decided to take my new ballroom gown for a test-run. Jess, Brenden, her roommate, Chelsea, and her boyfriend, Mike, and I all hung out and visited with other people at the dance. We all had a great time.

Tours have been crazy this week. There were 125 people at the Monday 10:00 tour. At my time slot yesterday (10:00), we had four tours going at the same time. My tour was deluged with at least thirty people; one of the tours (which was staffed by three tour guides) had at least sixty people. It has been insane. I think that there were more high school students than college students on campus at one point yesterday.

Last night, I was standing in line to get to food at Kimball. All of a sudden, lights started flashing on and off. It turned out that the fire alarm was going off. The fire alarm was being tested all last week, so everyone remained in line because we all thought it was just another test. We were all wrong. It was actually a fire drill. The funniest part of the entire situation was that some of us contemplated going outside or staying inside and eating. After fifteen minutes, the building was cleared, and life continued normally.

All of life continues to go normally. I feel like the second that I received my official letter from Oxford/Study Abroad, time has been zipping along. Everyone continuously reminds me that this is my last semester on campus until senior year; thus, I’m trying to enjoy every last second. However, it’s all going by a little too quickly for my taste!

And now for something completely different – Professor Manoussakis was awarded the tenure position! I’m so excited for him.

Hey everyone!

This past weekend was amazing. My mom flew up from Georgia to take my grandmother and me to the Dancing with the Stars Tour at Mohegan Sun. We spent Saturday walking around the casino. Okay, well, my mom and grandmother walked around the casino. I stayed in the room and read. But, that’s not the point. The show was phenomenal. All of the dancers were fantastic. Lacey and Lance were my favorite couple on this past season, and they were both there. They danced their tango to “Disturbia” and their Cha-Cha. They really should’ve won. But, I also was finally able to see Lance Bass in concert. Back when ‘NSYNC was popular (oh, come on, every girl was), Lance was my favorite member of the band. I never saw ‘NSYNC in concert, unfortunately. However, this weekend changed everything. I finally was able to see Lance perform live, and he even sang “Bye, Bye, Bye.” Yes, my childhood was completed on Saturday night. But, in all honesty, the entire tour was amazing. Toni Braxton was another one of the “Stars” on the show, and she sang “Un-Break My Heart” in a cha-cha time. It was one of the most brilliant dance numbers that I’ve seen. By the way, Derek Hough and Mark Ballas are simply wondrous dancers.

On a more academic note, I attended Professor Manoussakis’ lecture today. He’s a tenure candidate for the philosophy department, and part of the process requires the candidate to deliver several lectures. His lecture today was called “On the Substance of Things Hoped For,” which described the relationship of the penultimate to the ultimate. It was basically a reinterpretation of eschatology and how the modern thinker should approach it. It was a beautiful paper. One of the most interesting aspects of the event, though, was the interaction between the faculty and Professor Manoussakis. Each professor was throwing out his or her favorite philosopher and what they how they would have replied to Professor Manoussakis’ paper. It was interesting and mind-numbing, to say the least.

My dad has some business up here for the next week or so, so he stopped by Worcester to take me out to dinner. I ate one meal on campus today. Margaret and I walked down to Culpepper’s for lunch (looking back on that, that was a stupid idea. We walked down in the middle of a snowstorm.). Anyway, we went out to Brew City where we enjoyed their strawberry shortcake. It was delicious. Even though I came back only three weeks ago and I’ll be returning home in three weeks, it was great to see my parents. They’re flying home on Sunday, so they might swing by Worcester on Saturday.

Pack your bags and book your flights – this blog will officially be traveling overseas next year to Oxford, England. I found out that I was officially accepted to study next at Oxford University on Thursday. Prof. Smith saw me earlier in the day and told me personally; my immediate response was to jump up and down repeatedly. He, along with many others, now has a concrete reason to think that I’m insane. I am so excited for this opportunity; my summer experience was amazing, and I cannot wait to spend next year abroad. There’s only one drawback – this is my last semester at Holy Cross until my senior year. It’s a daunting feeling, but studying at Oxford for a year is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Luckily, I won’t be going alone. Some of my best friends were also accepted; Carrie, Margaret, and Jeremy will be joining with me. Ah! When can I start packing?!?!

Thursday was just a really fun day, I suppose. Jess’ birthday was on Tuesday, but her boyfriend, Brenden, had been planning her surprise party for at least two weeks. He decided to hold it on Thursday after her Fools performance. Because we all knew that we were celebrating it later on in the week, none of us went out of our way on her actual birthday. She told me on Wednesday that she was sad that everyone “forgot” her birthday, and I could only smile. I spent the better portion of Thursday making Funfetti cupcakes (her favorite), and Brenden, Haley, and Sean decorated the room. Right after Fools, we all packed into Brenden and Sean’s room. Jess thought that something was up, but she was so surprised when she opened the door. Of course, because it’s Jess, instead of saying how happy she was, she started apologizing because she had been so frustrated that everyone forgot her birthday. It was a great night, and we were all glad that none of us spoiled the surprise. Grant came really close, though.

Ashley went on Manresa this weekend, so I had the room to myself. Guess how I used my time? I read for the entire weekend. Sunday was actually a fairly nice day (it felt like spring!), so I spent some time outside. As much as I love winter, I do miss reading outside. By my calculations, we should be snow-free around April 26. Then we’ll have one week of final exams. Funny how that works out.

On “Lost” last night, some of the characters were speaking Latin. Speaking Latin. Now, granted, it wasn’t all correct, but it was still Latin! Just another piece of evidence that Latin is not a dead language!

Everything here is going pretty much the same. I’m afraid that my life is boring right now! I delivered my presentation in Tolkien yesterday; it was about Tolkien as a medievalist scholar. I learned how to pronounce Anglo-Saxon over the weekend (I’m a cool one) to emphasize a couple of points. We’re steadily moving along through Tolkien’s works; we’ll be finished with The Silmarillion by next week. Prof. Mulrooney ended class yesterday by saying, “Well, we’re 22% finished with this semester.” Why must everyone emphasize how quickly this time is flying?

All of my other classes are going well, and I’m really enjoying them. In Ideological Destruction of Art, we’ve just arrived at Hatcheptsut, the female pharaoh, and we’re beginning to examine why her artwork would have been destroyed. In Mathematics and Art, we’re doing experiments with the Golden Ratio and the Fibonnachi numbers. Those numbers are everywhere in nature and art! It’s fascinating because, for some odd reason, those two sets of numbers are just visually appealing to the human eye. Early Christian Literature is going well, too. We haven’t been “baptized” again, though. Even though they’re not as intertwined as last semester, I enjoy every moment of my classes because I learn just such different things in each class.

Sorry for the somewhat boring entry. Because of the weather, my friends and I haven’t really been able to do anything except for study and stay in the dorms. I do love the snow, but the ice makes it difficult to have fun excursions. But, fear not! For entertaining entries shall return soon!

Yesterday was, by far, one of the most interesting classes that I have ever attended. In Early Christian Literature, we’ve reached the point in The Confessions when St. Augustine asks for his baptism. In that scene, he says that he was “seasoned” and “signed” by God. Well, those are both allusions to the ancient baptismal rite, in which both salt and oil were used. As we reached that point in the class translation, Fr. Vodoklys told us all to open our hands. He went around the room and poured some salt onto our hands, and then went into a discourse about how valuable salt was in the ancient world because it preserved food. While our hands were still open, he then went around the room and poured some olive oil into our hands. I don’t think I will ever need to moisturize my right hand again!

Everything is still going well, albeit a little busy. I have my presentation for my Tolkien seminar tomorrow, so I’ll be working on that for the rest of the day today. Prof. Manoussakis, my Philosophy professor last semester, is also helping me edit and revise a paper to turn it into a conference. While this week is busy as anything, I’m really looking forward to the weekend (yes, I do realize that it’s only Tuesday…). My mom is flying in on Friday, and, along with my grandmother, we’re going to see the Dancing with the Stars tour on Saturday.

Well, I’ve got to lead my first tour of the semester now. Until next time!

I have officially started the second semester of my sophomore year. While my classes don’t coalesce perfectly like last semester (admit it, you enjoyed reading about my medieval adventures), they are amazing nonetheless. My first class, mathematics and art, is actually quite fascinating. I know, I know. you probably never expected to see me write that I’m taking a math class. But, I needed a math credit, and this class is awesome. We’re analyzing the mathematical structures of various art movements, and how different mathematical applications make each movement different from the other. Farwell, cosine and tangent equations! Hello, Polykleitous and Raphael! I’m also taking Fr. Vodoklys’ Early Christian literature, which is translating St. Augustine’s The Confessions. Yes, dear reader, that book is back! Just when you thought you were free…muwaha. Anyway, I feel like I’ve analyzed the work enough in English, and I thought that I should tackle it in the original Latin. Plus, St. Augustine has a beautiful command of Latin (as he should – he was the Roman emperor’s grammarian and rhetorician!), and much of his language’s beauty is lost in translation. I’m also taking Professor Mulrooney’s Tolkien seminar. Now, before you all think that I’m really crazy, I promise you that I have never dressed up as any character from Lord of the Rings. Okay, so maybe I have. But that’s not the point. The point is that we’re studying Tolkien in an academic light, which is amazing. It’s intensive reading (we’re reading everything that Tolkien wrote), and I’m one of the youngest in the class. Is it going to be a challenge? Most certainly yes. Am I beyond excited? Most certainly yes. My last class is my Honors seminar, the Ideological Destruction of Art. We’ll be studying the destruction of art in ancient times, whether it was for political or religious reasons, and the class will culminate in an independent research project in which we explore a modern example of the destruction of art. I think I might be leaning toward the French Revolution. But, that paper isn’t due for a while, so I’ll think about it later! So, while I’m going to be reading a whole lot this semester, I am so excited for all of my classes. Also, at the conclusion of this semester, I will be finished with all of my core requirements!

My first regular shift at Kimball was this morning. Most of my workers from last semester returned to work the same shift. I like to think that it’s a reflection of how I’m a captain. Of course, I do realize that it is based upon their schedules. This first day of work was so much better compared to the first day last semester. Unlike the beginning of last semester, all of the workers know how to complete every task. Scarily enough, we’re now beginning the captain selection process for next year. A couple of captains (myself included) already have lists of workers that we think would make great captains. And all of the Kimball magic begins there.

In other (random) news, it is freezing here. No, literally. It is freezing here. It is a whopping 5 degrees, and it’s supposed to drop down to -2 during the night. Last January was most certainly not this cold. This is Eskimo weather! I guess that it’s better than being distracted by nice weather, but still. I don’t think my studies would take a beating if the temperature rose into the double digits, at least!

Happy 2009!

I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas. Christmas was low-key this year; it was just my immediate family. My sister had to fly back to Colgate on the 27th to train with the swim team, so we were unable to spend Christmas with our relatives. For once in my life, something is my sister’s fault! It was actually really nice to spend it with just my dad, mom, sister, and pets. Christmas Mass was probably the highlight of my entire break, as weird as that may sound. I just love waking up on Christmas morning, dressing up, and going to Mass. It really helps me just remember what anchors the entire day. Of course, I do enjoy coming home, rapidly changing into my pajamas, and ripping open presents! The largest gift this year was a Wii and a Wii Fit. Oh my goodness, my family and I haven’t stopped playing it. I currently hold the record for the Hoola Hoops (310, if you wanted to know), and I’m also a champion penguin on one of the balance games. I’ve perfected my ace on Wii Tennis, and I can give David Ortiz a run for his money in Wii Baseball. See, the danger of Wii is that your success on the video game can make you think that you’re actually a good athlete. I’m more than willing to admit that I lack all athletic talent, so I’m living vicariously through Wii.

My family and I also saw the Terracotta Warriors exhibit in Atlanta. I was fortunate enough to see the warriors in their original home, Xian, when I traveled to China a couple of summers ago. My family was subjected to hear me talk incessantly about them, so when we heard that they were coming to Atlanta, my family decided to go. Okay, maybe I dragged them to go, but they all enjoyed it.

I can’t believe how quickly break flew. It was great to go home and relax for three weeks, but it was a little short! I’m not exactly complaining about coming back to campus, though. I’m really excited for my classes this semester. My classes don’t perfectly dovetail like last semester, but all four interest me nonetheless. This is also the first semester during which I’ll be participating in the College Honors program, and I’m so excited for Colloquium to start. Colloquium is basically an extension of FYP Symposia. Ironically enough, a majority of the College Honors members from my year are former FYPers.

Kimball has already started again. My first regular shift will be Thursday breakfast. Nearly all of my workers from last semester will be coming back to that shift. Getting up that early in the morning isn’t always easy, but my workers make it worthwhile.  All in all, it’s going to be another busy semester, but I know it’s going to be fun and worthwhile.

What a whirlwind week this has been! I finished all of my exams and final papers on Wednesday. I turned in my medieval literature paper on Friday; I took my Dante exam on Monday; turned in my Jesus and Friends final on Tuesday (long story about that one), and turned in my medieval philosophy paper on Wednesday. It was a lot of work to accomplish in such a short span of time, but it all was finished, thanks to copious amounts of tea. My Jesus and His Contemporaries final was supposed to be a typical timed final; however, the huge ice storm that walloped Worcester forced Professor Murphy out of his house. So, he wasn’t exactly able to get to campus. So, we had a take-home final instead, and we just e-mailed it to him. Ah, you have got to love the Worcester weather!

I spent most of Thursday working in Kimball; I tried to see if I could last the entire day in Kimball, but the other captains forced me to go back to my room. I did have to pack, anyway! Luckily, I was able to get out of Boston on Friday. My dad was in Boston, so he picked me up. Our flight was originally at 3:40, but Delta canceled it the night before. We were rescheduled to the 4:40 flight. Well, the huge snowstorm was supposed to hit Boston around 4:00. My dad and I tried to get on earlier flights to Atlanta, but we had no luck. So, we hoped and prayed that the 4:40 flight would make it. I’m not sure how, but we did. The snow was billowing; it was coming down sideways at one point. We finally took off at 6:15, and I landed in the beautiful 65 degree and sunny climate of Georgia at 9:00. However, it’s not supposed to be this nice for much longer. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the teens, and it’s going to continue to drop further in the week. It’s like I never left Holy Cross!

While I was waiting in the airport for a good eight hours, I had a chance to reflect about this past semester. I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ve been pushed to such a limit before in my life. On the other hand, I wouldn’t change anything about this semester. Freshman year was a crash course in learning how to live by myself, adjust to college classes, and begin to realize what I’m meant to do in this world. A perquisite of sophomore year is having a grasp on all of that. You just dive in to everything about sophomore year. If freshman year was a springboard year, then sophomore year has been a formation year. Sure, there were fights with friends, long nights in the libraries, talks with chaplains and Jesuits, dusty books to be read, and days that were pulled from Canto XXIV of Inferno, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. This entire semester has shown me that college isn’t just about learning; it’s about forming the self. I can’t imagine forming myself, both intellectually and spiritually, at any other institution than Holy Cross, as “tour-guide” as that sounds. It’s really quite true. I’ve talked to my friends from home about our various experiences, and, while they’re all loving their own college experiences, I just know that I wouldn’t be having the same experience anywhere else. This semester has really sealed that. Between the fantastic professors that I had this semester, the wealth of knowledge that I learned in my amazing classes, and everything else that happened this semester, I’ve just realized even more that Holy Cross truly is the place for me. 

After working all day Tuesday and Wednesday on my medieval literature paper, I decided that I deserved a break. Carrie, Amy (a friend from my medieval literature class), and I decided to bake a pecan pie. Yes, it was quite random, but it was one of the best study breaks. Our procrastination yielded a delicious treat! Pecan pie isn’t exactly brain food, but it most certainly is delicious.

This morning was my last breakfast shift with my workers. They presented me with a collage of random pictures that they had taken throughout the semester. Waking up at 6:30 two days in a row was not ideal, but my workers definitely made it fun.

And, now, here is some inspiration from one of my high school friends, Tom, for upcoming finals.

A Prayer for Final Exams

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not flunk;
He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying.
He leadeth me beside the water cooler for a study break.
He restoreth my faith in study guides.
He leads me to better study habits
For my grade's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of borderline grades,
I will not have a nervous breakdown For Thou art with me.
My prayers and my friends, they comfort me.
Thou givest me answers in moments of blankness;
Thou anointest my head with understanding.
My test paper runneth over with questions I recognize.
Surely passing grades and flying colors shall follow me.
All the days of my examination,
And I shall not have to dwell in this college forever,
AMEN

The weather this week has been unpredictable! On Monday, the temperature was in the single digits and the wind chill made it feel below zero. Yesterday, the temperature was around forty. Last night, however, the wind was insane. During the night, a huge tree outside of Wheeler actually snapped. And, today is around fifty-five degrees, but it’s pouring. It is supposed to hail tomorrow, and it’s supposed to snow on Friday. Talk about getting in all the extremes.

Anyway, if you’ve read my blog for the past year, you’ll understand that my life is a series of awkward events strung together. This proved more true yesterday than any other day this semester. After enjoying my quick lunch from Crossroads, I walked outside to throw away my trash. Unfortunately, I was gripping my ID card in addition to my trash, and I accidentally threw away my ID card. You can’t get anywhere on campus without your ID card. I debated my options for a minute. Should I dig through the trash to find my ID? Or should I spend $20 to have Public Safety issue me another one? Like any good college student, I decided to save some money. Yes, I actually dug through the trash for my ID card. Here’s the best part. I didn’t see anyone around me, so I thought that my trash-delving would go unnoticed. Unfortunately, a girl from my Dante class and all of her friends walked by as I was elbow deep in the trash can. The good news is that I eventually found it. The bad news is that it’s sitting in a sanitizing solution for the next three months or so. Now that I think about it, that trash can is very close to the webcam on Hogan’s roof. So, if anyone happened to be watching the webcam yesterday at 1:30 or so, you probably saw my trash escapade.

In other (less embarrassing) news, last night was the Christmas Tree lighting. It is officially Christmas on campus now! Fr. Dunn presided, and the pep band and Chamber Choir performed. Oh, yes, there were also cookies and hot cider. Last night was also the final Fools on the Hill show, so Ashley, Katie, and I saw Jess perform one last time.

Classes ended yesterday. Study period starts today and lasts until Friday. My final medieval literature paper is due on Monday, and my Dante final exam is on Monday as well. My Jesus and His Contemporaries final exam is on Tuesday, and my medieval Philosophy final paper is due on Wednesday. I can’t believe that I’ll be finished with everything in a week. This semester is vanishing before my eyes!