Colleen Curran '11

This week has had its ups and downs. Take a look at the following examples:

Down: My Latin class officially finished translating Cicero’s Pro Archia.
Up: My Latin class is now translating Virgil’s The Aeneid.

Down: I have the flu.
Up: Lower Kimball started stocking my favorite Greek yogurt, so I can stay in the room for breakfast if I don’t feel well enough to go down the hill.

Down: It’s cold.
Up: It’s snowing!

Those are just a couple of examples. Carrie is also sick, so I started calling our room the Infirmary.

I cannot believe that in a week and a day, I’ll be back home for Spring break. This semester is flying by so quickly! Hopefully, I won’t have the flu by then.

The dictionary defines “cacophony” as a “harsh, grating, or discordant noise.” Yes, that word is the only one that suffices to explain what woke me up yesterday morning at 4:30. At first, I thought that it was the alarm on my iHome going off. However, I knew that I had set the alarm for 6:45, and I had also programmed it to wake up to my iPod. I rolled over and saw Carrie out of bed and putting on her coat. I thought that that was a strange sight, until I saw the flashing lights. Then I knew –  the fire alarm was going off.

So, all of the kids living in Hanselman shuffled (more like sleep-walked) outside, and waited while the Worcester Fire Department came in and found what had caused it (someone was cooking an omelet and forgot about it. No, I’m not really sure why someone was cooking an omelet of all things at 4:30 in the morning.). When they determined that it was safe, we were all allowed back inside. At 6:45, my iPod alarm did go off, and “Burnin’ Love” started to play. Later on in the day, Carrie’s shuffle started to play “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Talk about ironic.

Today hasn’t really been all that eventful. I have an Intelligence paper due on Tuesday, and it’s assigned length is seven to nine pages. I’ve been organizing and writing that paper all day. Tomorrow, I get to work at Kimball and then study for my Latin test that is on Monday. I guess it’s only fair. I did have an extremely fun weekend last week. I’m currently writing this paper at Cool Beans, and the view is definitely distracting me!

I’ll try to update as much as I possibly can this coming week, but I don’t think I’m going to have much time.

There is only one bad aspect about having a Jesuit as your professor. Your class will never be cancelled. Don’t get me wrong; I love Latin with all my heart, but the weather yesterday was just not pleasant. Most of my friends’ morning classes were cancelled because their professors couldn’t drive to campus. When your professor lives on campus, there’s a very slim chance that he won’t be able to make it.

Everyone on the hall made valentines for each other, but I think that Carrie’s was the best one I received. It’s a French cabbage, and says, “Mon petit chou!” No, it’s not just a random cabbage. In French, “mon petit chou” is a term of endearment. It’s similar to “honey,” “pumpkin,” etc. (That’s your French lesson aujourd’hui!) I was so excited that I taped it to my International Relations spiral.

Well, I have to start on my work. Next week, I have a Latin test, a US Intelligence paper due, and a FYP paper due. I’m not too excited for that week. The week after that doesn’t look too bad – I have a Latin paper and an International Relations midterm. Okay, so it does look bad. But, at least I’ll be going home for the week after that. I can’t believe how quickly this semester is flying by!

Hey everyone!

This past week was actually quite fantastic. I was extremely busy during the school week. I had to turn in a paper for International Relations on Thursday, and I had to finish translating Pro Archia for Latin by Friday, but it was all worth it for this wonderful weekend.

On Saturday, all the FYP-ers and the FYP professors headed off to Walden Pond in Concord, as we’ve been reading Walden for a common reading. I first studied Thoreau in my junior year of high school, and I’ve wanted to see Walden Pond ever since. It was a beautiful day to go see it too. It had snowed the previous night, so the pond was frozen. It was excellent timing because all the sections had just finished reading the chapter called “The Pond in Winter.” Reading Walden is such a wonderful experience in of itself, yet actually seeing where he lived just added such a wonderful element to the entire experience.

After we visited Concord, we went to Cambridge to go and tour the Peabody and Fogg museums. Of course, most of us stopped by Mr. Bartley’s Sandwich Store for an excellent lunch.

On Saturday night, Haley and Jess hosted a “Recycled Goods” party.
Everyone had to make costumes from reused goods – newspapers,
magazines, bubble wrap, etc. I re-used one of my dance costumes (it
counts!), but Haley and Jess actually made dresses out of bubble wrap.
It was a great time!

Right now, there are winter “squalls” going on. The temperature is
dropping quickly,  and more snow is expected until Tuesday. Needless to
say, after ten o’clock mass, I’ll be curling up beneath my blankets
with a cup of hot tea and a book. Call me a nerd, but that sounds like
a perfect ending to a perfect weekend!

Well, I wish I could write this entry with a happy tone. However, my beloved Patriots decided to let me down during the last minute of the Super Bowl. My spirits are quite dampened.

Right now, Carrie and I are playing Boston-related songs to revive our spirits. Someone is blasting “New York, New York,” and we’re trying to keep the spirits of the hall up.

Okay, enough for the melodramatic sports affairs. This week went quite well, despite the past four hours. I spent this weekend with my aunt and uncle in Plainville, and then I went down to see my grandmother in New Bedford. It was great to see some family for a little while.

I’m quite sorry about how pithy this entry is. Hopefully I’ll have a more energetic one for tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some pictures from our Super Bowl party tonight.

Hey everyone!

After returning to campus from New York, things have really started in full swing again. In FYP, we sailed through Purgatorio, and we’ll start Walden fairly shortly. On Tuesday in my International Relations class, Professor Thomas made us play a game to better understand the basics of international politics, and why some things just don’t work out. Each group was given $1,000. Either all ten times could invest in a bond that would yield 20%, or only three groups could buy a home run ball that would yield 30%. Even after a couple of tries, none of us were getting any yield because all the groups insisted on going after the home run ball. Professor Thomas just sighed and said, “Welcome to International Politics.” It made the class laugh. On Tuesday, I also had my first US Intelligence Community class. We only meet once a week, so it’s quite a long class. However, it is truly worth it. Professor Bunke is extremely well versed in the subject matter, and  it is an extremely interesting class. Needless to say, I love all of my classes this semester.

On Wednesday, I went to the men’s basketball game against Navy. Unfortunately, we lost, but it was such an energetic game! The entire gymnasium was bedecked in purple, and the crowd’s spirit was insane! Carrie and a couple of the other girls in my hall are in the pep band, and it was fun to see them play. This Wednesday, the team is going against Colgate, my sister’s school. Unfortunately, it’s in Hamilton, so I can’t exactly see it.

Yesterday, my RA, LC, planned a “Battle of the Building.” My side of the hall competed against the other side of the hall in events such as “How well do you know your roommate?” and the Lyrics game. Carrie was in Boston for the weekend, so I paired up with one of my friends from my hall, Mia. And, of course, my side won. It was a lot of fun, especially since it was snowing outside and none of us wanted to venture out.

Well, that’s it for now!

Firstly, Happy 2008!

Well, Winter Break has come to an end. It was great to spend time with my family, but I am quite eager to get back to campus! I thoroughly enjoyed all of my classes last semester, but I am quite excited for this semester. I’ll be taking Intermediate Latin (it’s a full year course), Freedom and History (the second part of my FYP course), Introduction to International Relations, and US Intelligence Community.

Unfortunately, due to the impending weather, I’m still in Georgia. I was supposed to leave tomorrow, but my flight has been cancelled. I won’t be able to get into Logan until Tuesday, it seems. Honestly, if I could, I would walk back to Holy Cross.

Over the break, I went up to the North Georgia mountains with some of my friends. While we were there, it “snowed.” By “snowing,” I mean that less than a centimeter fell. The picture really just makes me laugh because I’ll be returning to a campus covered in 6-10 inches of snow!

I really never thought that my blog was read so far across the country. At Mass on Saturday, my dad was setting up (he’s a sacristan), and a couple that he knows came up to him. They asked him if his daughter was, indeed, the “blogger” for Holy Cross. When he told them yes, they said that their daughter is interested in Holy Cross and is a junior at St. Pius (kind of a rival of my high school, but that’s all right.). They told him that they had been reading the blog since I started writing. It was great to see that people even down in Georgia are reading it. I mean, in my interview for this position, I did say that I hoped to attract kids that weren’t from the New England area. I guess I accomplished that goal!

Also, I’ve received some friend requests on Facebook from members of the Class of 2012. (I really don’t want to think about them coming in only because I’ll be a sophomore by then. That’s a scary thought.) This is just a Christmas present in itself! I would request every 2012 member that I could as a friend, but that might come across as either overzealous or just plain weird.

Aside from internet connections, I’ve really enjoyed being home. Holy Cross is absolutely wonderful, but it is nice to stay up on a Monday and not worry about work that would be due for either Professor Ireland’s or Professor Kee’s class tomorrow. Oh yes – I’ve enjoyed waking up to my bird instead of an alarm clock. It’s a nice change.

Tomorrow, I’m heading off to visit my high school just to say hello to some of my favorite teachers. I’ll be heading back there on January 10th to give a presentation about Holy Cross. Am I a freshman or what? If you couldn’t tell from my involvement, I really like it here!

Well, my first semester of college is over. I took my last two exams yesterday. It really is a strange feeling. Ashley, Haley, and I were talking about it tonight, and it really doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. I still vividly remember my first day on campus, and the first time that I ever met Haley. We were both somewhat scared, but we had met each other through Facebook over the summer. Right when we met in person, we really clicked. I still remember the first time that I met Ashley. I was trying to study Latin, and she just came up and started talking to me. We’ve been best friends ever since. I just never thought that this semester would ever end.

The weather has been quite entertaining for the entire campus. Yesterday, during lunch, there were flurries. The flurries quickly developed into a strong snow while I walked over to Stein for my Latin final. As I was taking my Latin final, I looked outside and saw that the entire campus was covered in at least six inches of snow. It didn’t stop until around midnight, so that can only mean one thing on a college campus: sledding.

It was a great way to celebrate the end of my first semester at college. As Haley, Ashley, and I all went down Freshman Field hill (and subsequently wiped out quite a bit), I realized that there’s no other college on earth at which I’d rather be. As cliché as it may sound, Holy Cross has provided me the best possible first semester in college. I wholeheartedly enjoyed all of my classes this semester, and I am looking forward to my classes next semester. I’ve made amazing friendships, and I feel right at home here. Well, not right at home. I really do miss my bird.

Let’s recap the semester in a few sentences: I took some amazing classes this semester. Professor Ireland scared the living daylights out of me on the first day, but it all turned out for the best. I met so many different people, and I’ve been able to truly broaden my horizons. And, most importantly, I am a professional Chinese take-out guru.  All in all, this semester has been fantastic, and I’m looking forward to all of my future semesters here on the hill.

Right now, Carrie and I are packing up the room. It’s weird. My side of the room is actually clean. This is quite a phenomenon! It is kind of weird that I won’t wake up every morning and hear Carrie speak in German, or have her look at me as if I’ve gone insane when I start pacing around the room with a book in my hand.

In other news, Early Decision letters are going out, apparently. To all the newly accepted members of the Class of 2012 (that sounds just plain weird), congratulations!

Well, I probably should head off to bed right now. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and I’ll see (virtually, I suppose) you all in the New Year!

The smells of Raemen noodles, Dominoes Pizza, and coffee all linger in the air. Surely, exams have started.

I turned in my last CRAW paper yesterday, and I’m currently taking a break from studying for my Middle East exam that is taking place tomorrow. I’m honestly quite nervous about my first college exam, but I think I’ve prepared myself well. At least, I hope I have prepared myself well!

Today after Mass, we were alerted that it had been sleeting all during Mass. The groundskeepers had been spreading salt on the walkways, but it wasn’t enough. Haley, Ashley, and I were planning to go to Cool Beans to pick up some caffeine for the night, but Haley and I thought that the sleet was daunting. We decided to go anyway. Ashley led the pack, and she really was a true Ohioan. Meanwhile, Haley, who’s from Texas, and I were lagging behind and holding onto the railings for dear life. I am seriously not excited at all for January or February! On the way back to Hanselman, Ashley was proud of how I walked without the railings. I felt like a toddler being applauded for walking on my own for the first time! By the time that I get the hang of this ice thing, it’ll be spring and I won’t have to worry about it anymore.

Well, I’m off to study some more. My final isn’t until 2:30 tomorrow, but I’d rather be over prepared than under prepared!