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I’m am currently (and happily!) writing this update from a computer in Dinand Library. I cannot contain my excitement. I’m in the most lovely building on this campus (well, second to the chapel, maybe).

I arrived yesterday afternoon, and since then, I’ve been attacked by hugs and hellos. I spent yesterday seeing as many of my friends as I could. Today, I’ve been running around (and it’s only 11:00!) to see professors. Some have been just to catch up, and others have been for signatures, advice, and the like. Even though I’m only on campus for three days, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this busy. Nevertheless, it’s fantastic to be back. It’s kind of weird right now because all of my friends are in class, and I’m just hanging out. Of course, I am in Dinand, so I’m sure that I could probably find a book to read to keep me occupied for the next couple of hours or so.

Check back soon for photos from this weekend!

Well, here’s the bad news: I had to get braces on my bottom teeth…again. Long story short: I couldn’t wear my retainer for three months after my surgery, and the only way to straighten my teeth again is to be in braces for a bit.

Here’s the good news: A) The braces will only be on for two weeks, which means that I’ll have them off in time for Oxford.
B) I’m leaving for Oxford in two weeks!!
C) I’ll be at Holy Cross in less than 24 hours!
D) I’m leaving for Oxford in two weeks!!

Can you tell that I’m excited for my year abroad?

I have to admit that it’s pretty strange to know that everything continues at Holy Cross while I’m still on summer mode. Every day, I receive copious e-mails from Holy Cross that alert me about specific events happening at Holy Cross. For instance, today, I received an e-mail highlighting a lecture about the rededication of the Pantheon in 609 as a Catholic church. When I read it, I forgot that I’m about two thousand miles away and immediately looked for the location and the time of the lecture. For all of you at Holy Cross who might be reading this – please go to that lecture and take notes for me! It sounds fantastic.

I’m not doing all that much anymore. The pub at which I worked for the past two summers suddenly closed down, so now I’m out of a job. No matter – I’ve been keeping myself occupied with books for my upcoming tutorials. Some things never change, do they?

Check back for more updates! I’m visiting Holy Cross a week from today, so check back to see all of my pictures!

Hello everyone and welcome back! This summer flew by way too quickly. Since my last update, I visited Tybee Island (which is off the coast of Savannah) for the Fourth of July, went to Cape Cod for a family reunion, worked practically every night at the restaurant, visited Cape Cod for a week with just my nuclear family, stayed with my grandmother in New Bedford, and then spent some time with my sister, Caitie, at Colgate. I can’t believe that it’s already September. I guess the main reason for my disbelief is that I’m typing this at home rather than at my desk at school. While all of my friends are back at Holy Cross and preparing for another semester, I’m biding my time until September 29^th. On that day, I’ll step onto a plane headed for London with only two suitcases (Delta’s new policy does not factor in students who are studying abroad for the year!) and I’ll begin my studies at Oxford. I am so excited. I’m not sure if that really even needed to be said. A group of my friends who are abroad all throughout Europe have already started a Facebook message indicating where we are and for how long in case if anyone wants to visit. As of right now, my friends are in Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland. That’s not including my friends who are outside of Europe, but there’s no possible way that I could visit Tina who is studying art in Melbourne, Australia.

So, how will I be spending my time until September 29^th? Well, I’ve already received e-mails from my two tutors at Oxford about supplementary information that I should read before classes begin. Right now, I’m in the middle of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Now this sounds like my kind of summer! Note to any future English majors who might concentrate in Medieval Literature – People will look at you as if you have three heads when you tell them what you’re reading. Trust me. My extended family thinks I’m insane.

Continue to check back for updates as I begin my preparations to jump across the pond! Until then, though, you can enjoy some photos from my summer travels.

Tonight, I wasn’t sure if I was in Boston or in Atlanta. My family and I went to the Red Sox game in Atlanta tonight, and I’m quite positive that there were more Red Sox fans there than Atlanta Braves fans. When Youkilis got up to bat, the crowd was deafening with cheers of “Yoooooooouk.” Instead of cheering “Let’s go Braves,” the crowd changed it into “Let’s Go Red Sox.” It was hilarious. It was basically an away game for the Braves, but in their own stadium. Of course, Turner is not the same as Fenway, but it was still great to see the Red Sox play. It was just a rather boring game. The final score was 1-0. There were only five or six hits by either team (and Big Papi did make a double). It was more of a pitchers’ duel than anything. Oh well – it was still hilarious to see a taste of Boston in Atlanta. Now I just wish that we could have some of Boston’s weather. The high hovers in the 90’s on a daily basis; the day of the game was 96. I just keep going from extremes – Worcester in the winter, and Georgia in the summer. You would think that I’d learn how to balance it in my favor!

You know what’s one thing that I geniunely miss about Holy Cross? I really miss the Jesuits’ sermons on Sundays. I know it sounds weird, but their sermons are really just brilliant. For instance, Fr. McFarland’s on Easter Sunday was about death – not exactly what all of us were expecting. But it was just so intellectual and so moving. And, I’m not saying anything against my dioceasean priests, but their homilies just aren’t the same!

Yesterday, I started my Ancient Greek class. Exciting, right? I spent two hours with my tutor, and he spent an hour trying to get me to speak from my gut. My tutor actually had a really interesting philosophy about ancient languages versus modern language. He said that a majority of modern languages simply use language as a tool. Ancient languages, however, involve the whole body because they’re trying to express everything that the speaker is attempting to convey. For instance, when we speak English, we form our words with our lips. When you speak Ancient Greek, the sound has to start in your stomach, and it works it way up through the throat. Then the tounge has to manipulate the sound. It was a really interesting concept. But that’s enough philology for today. Just wait until Oxford – then you’ll be reading about philology every day!

Until next time!

Wow. I can’t believe that I haven’t updated my blog in such a long time. Since my last entry (at the beginning of May? Really?!), I have been so incredibly busy. All of my final exams and papers went really well. I was the most nervous about my Tolkien paper, but I was able to pull it off. I found a fantastic little nook in the library, too. I literally secluded myself from human society for about twelve hours a day during the last five days of school. I was basically a modern anchoress. I even had a small little window through which I could see people! The end of sophomore year was bittersweet. I had a lot of work to do this semester, but, like last semester, I enjoyed every minute of it. When I turned in my Latin final blue book, I was honestly sad. This past semester (and year, actually) has just been so academically inspiring. I was able to find my niche last semester, and this semester I just honed it in. My professors were fantastic resources and also tolerated my academic interests. Professor Perry allowed me to explore the Libri Carolini, and Professor Mulrooney tolerated my never-ending medieval spiels in my Tolkien seminar. All of my professors from previous semesters (notably Profs. Juilfs, Kee, Manoussakis, Murphy, and Fr. Howard) just kept telling me to pursue my academic passions. Even though I might not make a whole lot of money, I think that I want to be a professor of Medieval literature. This is quite the 180 from last year! These past two years have just been such a fantastic foundation, and now I feel ready to tackle whatever my tutors at Oxford might throw at me in a couple of months. It’s just so wonderful to be able to attend a school with such supportive professors who are more than willing to mentor you about post-undergraduate life. I really feel so blessed to attend such a school.

After my last final, I enjoyed a really long walk around the campus. I took some pictures because it was just gorgeous weather outside. It was so gorgeous that even a pair of hawks decided to nest right outside of O’Kane. There was one beautiful red-tailed hawk. Of course, no one on campus wanted to tarry around that area for all that long! The day after my Latin final, my mom flew up and helped me pack up. My sister and father then drove down from Colgate the next day, and we finished packing up Wheeler 331. After that, I just walked around campus a little more; I was able to see Prof Mulrooney, and he gave me a couple of pointers on how to improve my Tolkien paper. That paper truly was the most fun I have ever had on an assignment (no offense to any of my other professors who might stumble across this blog!). I argued that Tolkien used the same understanding of the Beowulf poet’s conception of the body and the soul, specifically through two Old English words. I know, I know. It sounds dusty and really weird, but it was so much fun to write! Once again, my sources this semester were not exactly too recent!

After we finished packing everything up (which went so much more smoothly than last year because I brought far less clothes with me!), we headed into Boston. We were even lucky enough to grab some seats at Fenway park that night! That was the same night that Jason Bay was on fire (I know, I’m not really being specific here). After saying hello to some family members, my dad, sister, and I began our drive back to Atlanta. Usually, we do the drive in two days. This time, however, we decided to take our time, so we took three days to complete the journey. We saw some more family along the way (my entire family is scattered along the eastern seaboard), and we stopped in Richmond for the Strawberry Street Café’s infamous strawberry shortcake. It’s kind of a tradition. See, the first time that we stopped there, Dad, Caitie, and I finished an entire shortcake in less than three minutes. This time, we broke our record and brought it down to 2:09. It would’ve been quicker, but we were laughing for a good thirty seconds because our waitress had no idea what we were doing.

Eventually, we made it back to Georgia. I celebrated my 20th birthday (ugh. I am such an old fart) with my family at my favorite restaurant, McCormick and Schmick’s. My sister bought me a subscription to Neflix for the summer, and I think that Caitie has used it more than I have. We’re using it to get caught up on our pop culture knowledge. See Since then, I’ve been working at the Irish pub at which I worked last summer and just reading a couple of books. I had to get a graft surgery on my gums, so I couldn’t talk for a couple of days. My family cherished those three days! But, I’ve made a full recovery and I’m back to talking, much to my family’s dismay. On Saturday night, Caitie and I went to the Keith Urban concert. It was fantastic. Our mom won some seats at an auction, and Caitie and I had no idea how good the seats were. We knew that we were on the floor, but we had no idea that we would be literally ten feet from Keith. It was great! I didn’t even zoom in for the pictures! He is such an amazing performer, and he sounds so good live. The only bad part was that Taylor Swift opened (blech). Sorry, I’m just not a huge fan of her music. It was such a cool night, though!

I’m starting Ancient Greek tutorials next week, and I have a few more books to read. I’m really excited to begin Ancient Greek. I’m learning in a tutorial setting with a private instructor, so we’ll see how it goes. My paper on the Libri Carolini influenced me to take this class because I really want to read the great Greeks (and eventually the Greek Fathers) in their vernacular.

Other than that, I’ve been planning for my year abroad. I’ve already applied for my visa, and I have my plane ticket to London. I’m receiving e-mails every week from the Director of the Visiting Student Programme at Mansfield about my tutorials, living arrangement, and immigration status. I’m pretty much signing my life away. Basically, I’m using this summer to prepare as much as I can for Oxford. I’ve even started to bike again! Because I’ve been biking a little bit, I’ve finally restored a tad of color to my skin. Now I don’t reflect light as much anymore! People can look at me without being blinded. It’s a great feeling.

So, that’s a basic wrap-up of what I’ve been doing since my last entry. Check back soon for more updates and photos of my summer adventures!

This week has been filled with a lot of painful good-byes.Tuesday was my last day of classes at Holy Cross until Fall 2010. I’m glad that I could end with Professor Perry’s Honors Seminar, though. All of my classes have been fantastic this semester (actually, make that this entire year!), and I’m missing out on a lot of amazing classes that are being offered here next year. I will survive though, methinks! Also, this past Sunday was my last Mass at Holy Cross for a year. It didn’t hit me until I was counting people during the homily. I was standing up in the choir loft, and that’s when I realized that that would be my last time doing that for quite a while. It’s just a weird feeling to think that I won’t be back here as a student until Fall 2010. Am I excited to study abroad? Most certainly. Am I nervous? Most certainly!

Today, I turned in my Tolkien final paper. I’ve been working on this paper for quite some time, so I’m glad that it’s finished. I argued that Tolkien mimics the Beowulf poet (or at least Tolkien’s understanding of him) by combining pagan philosophy with Christian theology, specifically with regards to the body and the soul. I know that this is going to sound crazy, but it was such a fun paper to write. It was difficult, and all of the librarians think I’m a little weird for checking out the entire Anglo-Saxon section in Dinand. But it was still so much fun! Who knows? Maybe I’ll continue that theme for my Honors thesis. But I don’t want to talk about that right now, because that’s a 100+ page paper.

I’m finished with three out of my four classes now. My last final is Wednesday, and it’s for my Early Christian Literature class. Between now and then, I’ll be studying and packing up the room. Packing is going a whole lot better than last year. Remember my frantic posts? Those feelings of anxiety are no more! I actually have more storage than stuff; that’s an exciting feeling. Another reason why I’m better off now than a year ago: my computer is fully functional, so I don’t have to rely on the O’Kane computer lab. That’s always a good feeling!

Warning! The author of this entry requests that you are firmly seated on a chair or other flat surface with some railing mechanism. To read this entry without such safety features could result in shock, falling off chairs, or death.

Right now, I’m typing a paper…in the Science library. I know, I know. The building has not burned down, and I have not randomly combusted. This is quite a new experience for me. I have to write a paper for my Math class, and all of my books and resources are in the Science Library. Besides, I might as well experience the fifth best Science library at any liberal arts institution in the nation before I go abroad next year, right (bet that you didn’t know that fact!)? It’s so…different in here. Maybe I should study in here more often. See, there aren’t any fun books to distract me. For instance, when I was supposed to be writing my Tolkien paper a couple of days ago, Kierkegaard distracted me. Here, though, there are no such distractions. I mean, who really wants to read a book about fractals? There are pretty pictures, though. Then again, I miss the feeling of Dinand. The Science library is nice, but it just doesn’t have that old, dusty book quality to it. But at least now I can say that I’ve been in this library on my tours.

This past week has been hectic to say the least. I was tempted to write the word chaotic because I’m writing my math paper on Chaos theory in paintings, specifically in Van Gogh and Pollock. But that pun would’ve only been funny to me, hence the exclusion. Anyway… This week started out quite hilariously, actually. Sunday was Accepted Students’ Day. I was in the Chapel from 8:45-11 to answer questions. I think maybe three people came. It was filled later on in the day, but I guess that some other speeches were going on at the time. I was also Lit. Co. at the Accepted Students’ Day Mass. I kind of messed up the intro (and by kind of, I mean really). Paul was supposed to do it, but I didn’t know that. Oh well – it all worked out. After that, Ashely, Michelle, two of Michelle’s friends, and I had dinner at Ciampi with Frs. Lynch and Savard. We won an auction a while ago. It was fantastic. The food was amazing, and all of us said that we want to live there. They do have five extra rooms or so. I asked if I could live there if I became the Jesuit version of a nun. They said no. Oh, well. I’ll just keep on winning that meal auction! Frs. Lynch and Savard are two really great guys and just so down to earth (all of the Jesuits are, in fact!). We actually had a Peep war. I told Fr. Lynch how Carrie and I had a peep war last year, and he was intrigued. So, we held our own peep war in Ciampi (Fr. McFarland, if you’re reading this, I swear it wasn’t me. It was everyone else, and I just watched on the sidelines. I had nothing to do with this!). After Sunday, though, I have spent all of my time in Dinand. I’ve had several presentations, papers, and applications due. And, I officially have less than two weeks left for my sophomore year. I also have approximately two exams and eighty pages (no, I’m not exaggerating) to write between now and May 6th. Oh well; it’ll all be finished. Well, I have to return to my math paper and find some more books in this frightening location. How do these science majors do it?

As of today, there are only eleven days of class left. How frightening is that?

Today is the first day of classes after Easter Break. My break was extremely relaxing. I stayed here (it’s a long story. Basically, my plans fell apart at the last minute.), and, although I was one of twenty five kids on campus, it was still enjoyable. I spent most of my time either in the Chapel or working on my papers. The Chapel services were gorgeous. Our really big week began with Palm Sunday. We started outside on the Chapel plaza and then made our way into St. Joseph’s. I was altar serving at that Mass, and it was incredible to see how many people were at that one Mass. St. Joseph’s was literally filled. It was great. Our solemn liturgies continued with Mass on Holy Thursday. Fr. Lynch said the Mass, and he gave a beautiful homily about the washing of the feet. We ended that Mass with adoration of the left over consecrated Body of Christ in the McCooey Chapel. Good Friday, as always, was an intense Mass. For those of you who have never been to a Good Friday service, it’s an emotional draining experience. Add some of the most brilliant men on this earth (aka the Jesuits) and it’s just an all over strenuous experience. Fr. Savard said this service (it’s technically not a Mass), and, like Fr. Lynch, gave a stirring homily. The service culminated with the veneration of the Cross. Fr. Hayes’ nephew, who is about five, was at the Mass, and it was adorable to see him venerate the Cross. He kept on looking up at Fr. Hayes for approval. It was really cute, trust me. Mass on Holy Saturday was probably one of the most beautiful Masses that I have ever attended (it’s second only to the Mass I chanced upon in Montserrat). Fr. Hayes said the Mass. Even to hear the Exstultet sung is such an amazing experience. Of course, that Mass is particularly long (about 2 hours, and that was without any initiates!), but it’s just so gorgeous. There are so many readings to remind everyone about God’s works through salvation history. Oh, yes – at this Mass, I learned that I cannot set up a tablecloth. See, on Good Friday, the altar is completely stripped, and it’s set up again only at the Vigil. Well, because I was altar serving, I had the task of setting up the tablecloth. I spent about three minutes trying to put it on the altar. It was kind of embarrassing. But that’s not the point. The point is that the Mass was gorgeous. And, of course, our Triduum celebration ended with Mass on Easter Sunday. I have never seen the Mary Chapel that filled. Students, faculty, and locals attended the Mass. Fr. McFarland said the Mass, and his homily (as always!) was so intellectually engaging. He even apologized for it being so heavy for an Easter homily. Welcome to life with the Jesuits – you are constantly learning, even if you’re just walking.

Saturday night, the Jesuits had all those who attended the Easter Vigil Mass at Ciampi for a brief reception. As I sat and talked with Fr. Reiser, Fr. Lynch, Fr. Hayes, and all the other members of the Jesuit community, I realized how much I’m going to miss this group of fantastic and brilliant men next year. Even seeing them on campus just makes my day. I’m excited to study abroad – don’t get me wrong. I’m just trying to take in everything that these last twenty four days have to offer because I know that I won’t be able to experience any of it again until senior year. That’s just scary, isn’t it?