Marie Meisner '26

Hello everyone! I am writing this at home after just finishing all my final assignments for the semester. This year, my final project lineup consisted of one paper, two exams, and a creative writing portfolio. I am feeling really confident about the work I submitted, and thankful for these opportunities to demonstrate my learning!

I can’t believe it is the end of the year already and summer is just around the corner – it feels like just yesterday we were ice skating on the Worcester Common Oval and sledding down Freshman Field! Although the weather has unfortunately been less reminiscent of spring than we’d like it to be, the celebrations at Holy Cross did a wonderful job of bringing the new and lively spirit of spring to campus!

In terms of academics, the annual Academic Conference Day was a great way for students to showcase the work they completed over the course of the year. The student presentations were mostly made up of senior Honors College or honors department presentations (check the specific department websites for more information), although the opportunity to present work on Academic Conference Day is open to underclassmen as well. On Academic Conference Day, no classes are held, so students, faculty and staff are able to attend as my presentations as they’d like! This year, I was able to attend almost all of the English Honors presentations as well as a couple of my friends’ honors presentations, both of which involved a presentation of their honors thesis. I particularly enjoyed these presentations because it not only displayed a students’ passion towards their chosen field of study, celebrating a year’s worth of hard work, but it also invited me to think about the types of projects I would be interested in undertaking as a senior and what I am truly passionate about.

End of year events at Holy Cross also consist of a variety of performances showcasing the artistic accomplishments of the student body. I was able to support my friends through attendance at the Department of Theatre & Dance‘s production of The Heiress, the choir and orchestra concert (Music Department), and the dance concert (also coordinated by the Department of Theatre & Dance). Additionally, The Purple, Holy Cross’ student literary magazine, was released a few weeks prior to finals, so the English Department (in conjunction with the Creative Writing Program) was able to host a release party, where contributors to the magazine were able to share their work in an open-mic style setting, graduating creative writers were recognized, and both students and faculty were able to converse together about all things English! As someone who contributed to the magazine both as a poet and as an Associate Editor, it was a lot of fun to celebrate the culmination of all the creative writing from the year and spend time with members of the English department.

Lastly, Spring Weekend, which is the last weekend before study period begins on campus, is always filled with fun activities to spend time with friends and celebrate the end of the year. The main event of Spring Weekend is the Spring Concert, organized by the Campus Activities Board, who, every year, work tirelessly to make this event a success. This year, the Spring Concert featured opener Iyaz (“Replay,” etc.) and headliner Natasha Bedingfield (“Unwritten,” “Pocketful of Sunshine,” “These Words,” etc.). Both performers were energetic, engaged, enthusiastic, and clearly excited to be at Holy Cross! Natasha Bedingfield was especially impressive for her strong vocals and covers of popular songs such as “Purple Rain” and “What Was I Made For” (in addition to performing her own hits, of course). And of course, our Battle of the Bands winner and student opener, Munkee, was a joy to watch. His set was simply bananas! 🙂

I’d like to give special thanks to all the organizations, both student-led and otherwise, that helped make this weekend so much fun and memorable! I’d also like to give a shoutout to my friends, who I have gone bowling with during Spring Weekend for the second year in a row now – I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends that I can create traditions and share memories with! It is so bittersweet ending the year knowing that many of them will be studying abroad next year, either for a semester or the entire year. While I am eager for them to take advantage of the new opportunity and embrace the adventure, I will be missing their presence on the Hill for sure. To quote Taylor Swift, “may these memories,” those made during Spring Weekend and always, “break our fall.”

On the topic of study abroad, in just a few short days I will be departing for Paris to participate in my four-week study abroad program. The Maymester consists of a small group of students living in the city and taking one Holy Cross class, taught by a team of HC professors. I will be sure to report back with all of my Parisian adventures, either later this summer or in the fall, but for now, I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable summer – you deserve it!

À bientôt!

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a great Easter celebration and well-deserved break! Since coming back from a quick trip home, life at Holy Cross has been busier than ever, and it is hard to believe it is mid-April and we only have three weeks left of the academic year!

Firstly, the Holy Cross Dance Ensemble wrapped up its final set of performances a few weeks ago during its Spring Show, where existing, new and class choreographers put together an extraordinary assortment of dances, varying in style from Irish Step to musical theatre and everything in between! While I am sad that I won’t be dancing onstage until the fall, I am so so thankful for the community I’ve found within the dance ensemble and the new experiences and friends it has brought me (including our amazing seniors!). I’ve included the link to the playlist of all performances, including but not limited to the 5 min musical theatre performance of Mean Girls, here!

Speaking of next fall, the majority of my time this month has been spent preparing for what I’ll be up to for the rest of the year! With the help of the Career Center, I’ve applied for a wide variety of summer internships, but prior to the start of internships, I’ll be participating in the Paris Maymester program through the Holy Cross Office of Study Abroad! The Maymester is a study abroad program that takes place during the end of the academic year, where a small group of Holy Cross students and professors spend a month in a foreign city (Paris, Rome, London, etc.) and take one Holy Cross course. This is something that I am so so excited for, as I am looking forward to the experience of immersing myself in the history and culture of a new city. The Maymester is a great option for students who want to take advantage of study abroad opportunities at Holy Cross but either can’t because of academic or athletic commitments, or simply don’t want to commit to an entire semester or year away from campus (like me!). Stay tuned – I will do my best to blog the experience while in Paris, if not shortly after!

These past few weeks, students have also prepared for the upcoming fall semester through class enrollment and housing selection. Every semester, I work with my advisor to arrange my class schedule in a way that best fits the requirements needed for my common area classes as well as my fields of study. I am pleased to report that I was able to enroll in all the classes I wanted and am very excited for my class schedule next fall!

Additionally, I am excited to announce that my best friend and I will be living in Ciampi, the residence hall dedicated to cultivating student wellness, next year! While Ciampi is a residence hall, which houses a group of about 70 students, the ground floor is open to all students. This “wellness living learning community” offers a wide variety of resources to improve one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness (among others). This past week, the Office of Residence Life & Housing hosted a Ciampi Meet & Greet for all members of the incoming cohort to get to know each other and begin to think about what wellness looks like for each of us! I found it to be a great preview of the year ahead and the community I will be living in.

Another highlight from these past few weeks has been the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of St. Joseph’s Chapel! On Sunday, students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members all piled into the chapel to celebrate 100 years of faith flourishing in the “spiritual heart of Holy Cross.” With such great attendance, triumphant organ music accompanied by the voices of the Chapel, College & Chamber Choirs, and touching and impactful readings, the mass was a beautiful tribute to all the Chapel has worked to create and celebrate, as well as an inspiring promise to continue its mission for another 100 years. I’ve attached the link to the livestream here!

Finally, I was able to help out during Holy Cross’ Accepted Students Day as a tour guide, introducing families to what makes Holy Cross so wonderful and (hopefully) convincing them to commit! To the class of 2028: we are SO excited for you to arrive in the fall and already so thankful for the gift of your presence on campus! Best of luck with the completion of your senior year – Holy Cross can’t wait to meet you!

Hi everyone! Hope everyone has had a great couple of weeks! Since coming back to Holy Cross after spring break, I have been looking to capture the authentic sense of joy I discovered in Mobile, and the bustle of life at Holy Cross has brought me quite the busy and blessed few weeks!

Firstly, being able to cheer on Holy Cross sports teams — namely men’s hockey and women’s basketball — as they compete in the championship stages of their season was a blast! For the women’s basketball game vs. Iowa (the #1 seed in the country!), the Office of Student Involvement hosted a watch party in the Prior Performing Arts Center, where students, faculty, alumni and community members gathered, in their best Purple Pride, to cheer on the Crusaders! The energy, love and support given to the team before, during and after the game was absolutely unbelievable to witness, and I will forever be thankful that the electric atmosphere of March Madness was able to reach (if only for a brief time) the hills of Holy Cross.

Additionally, I have been appreciative of the opportunities Holy Cross provides for students to hear the stories of others. Agape Latte, an event coordinated through the Student Government Association, invites a community member to share and reflect on their faith journey, and the Creative Writing department sponsors a Working Writers series where guest writers come to campus and share how they approached the writing process (as well as some excerpts from their latest work!). These events are offered various times throughout the academic year, but I find them to be especially helpful during the spring because it helps us discern what us students would like to do with our lives (i.e. for summer internships and jobs). Hearing how others took their personal experiences and values to build their career into something they are proud of is very inspiring, as it makes dreams feel possible. Off-campus, I am able to get a glimpse into the field of education through participation in SPUD, where I help elementary school students with their homework for about an hour once a week. This hands-on experience not only benefits the students and their school community, but personally is a great way to engage with the city of Worcester in an attempt to discover what I love!

I have also been able to immerse myself in experiences that bring me joy through participation in extracurriculars. The school’s literary magazine, The Purple, is currently in the beginning stages of building its annual issue, featuring the best creative writing and art of the student body, and as a member of the Purple staff as well as a creative writer, I am eager to share my work — and the collaborative work of the English department — at the end of the semester! On top of that, the Dance Ensemble has been working tirelessly to choreograph and perfect our dances for our spring show. The musical theatre class and I will be dancing to a mashup of several songs from Mean Girls: The Musical, and it has been an amazing and fulfilling experience to work with a spectacular group of (not mean) girls!

Lastly, this year, the end of the month brings the conclusion of the Lenten season — and the start of Holy Week! This past weekend I was able to participate in the celebration of Palm Sunday mass as an altar server, and it was such a beautiful way to welcome the new season with the rest of the Holy Cross community! Later this week I will be heading home to spend Easter with my family, but to have even part of the Easter celebrations occur on campus was really special.

Wishing everyone the best this Easter season — see you again in April!

Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a great spring break! As mentioned in my last post, I spent my break participating in Holy Cross’ Spring Break Immersion Program, which is organized every year through the Chaplain’s Office. This year, I traveled to Mobile, AL to immerse myself in the First Light Community, where I shared time with both the core members (i.e. individuals with intellectual disabilities) and team members (i.e. assistants and caretakers) who make up the community. First Light Community operates very similarly to a L’Arche community (where I traveled last year!) in the sense that they both prioritize celebrating life by cultivating a community centered around love. And during my time at First Light, it is safe to say that I experienced nothing but love.

Over the course of the week, my group members – all Holy Cross students I didn’t really know before – displayed such kindness, grace, and compassion, and I am honored to now call them all friends. Meanwhile, the core members at First Light radiated so much joy, which allowed friendships to flourish by making each seemingly simple moment feel so special. I remember one night after dinner (we shared most meals with the core members after completing our tasks/chores for the day) a couple of us were locked in an intense game of Uno with some of the core members and team members, and we all were laughing and joking around as if we’d known each other for years. I honestly don’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did while in community at First Light. I also loved learning about each core member’s life in a more intimate conversational setting as we went on walks or raked leaves outside. (Side note: it was absolutely beautiful down there – the sun was much-needed!) At First Light, I was so touched by how natural the relationship building felt, as if I didn’t have to work to ‘earn’ friendship and everyone accepted and loved me just as I was. Everyone was so open to sharing their stories and spending time together, and that gave us the space, as visitors, to feel comfortable sharing parts of our lives as well.

Another highlight of my experience within the First Light Community was participating in weekly worship. It was so beautiful to see core members, team members and other community members gather together over a shared love and devotion to faith through singing songs such as “This Little Light of Mine” and “Amazing Grace” and offering points of wisdom during the sermon. Finally, the last day spent in community featured a community lunch and dance party with the entire First Light Community, complete with a blessing as we prepared to head back home.

Aside from the formation of countless new friendships, one major personal takeaway from spring break immersion this year was the reminder to slow down. I learned to embrace the simplicity and peacefulness of life and to more deeply value the love that is shared with others. I am working to prioritize ‘loving for no reason,’ in addition to fully and fearlessly immersing myself in experiences that spread authentic joy.

If you haven’t already noticed, I could spend all day raving about my spring break experience. I will recommend spring break immersion tirelessly to anyone & everyone, as it serves as a reminder of what’s really important in life. Aside from disability rights sites, other spring break immersion sites focus on food insecurity, homelessness and sustainable living, among others. Although the activities and communities may be different, the mission is still the same, and we all came back to Holy Cross with a full heart and a bucket full of blessings.

Hello everyone! Somehow the past month flew by and we’ve already made it to March! Here at Holy Cross, students are wrapping up the last of their assignments before they set off for spring break. Similarly to last year, I will be spending my break traveling with a group of HC students to immerse ourselves in community through Holy Cross’ Spring Break Immersion Program. This year, I will be traveling to First Light Community in Mobile, AL, to spend time with adults with and without intellectual disabilities who live together in community. However, before I take off bright and early tomorrow morning, let’s recap my February on the Hill!

As mentioned previously, this month featured the Holy Cross Dance Ensemble Benefit Performance to support Working for Worcester. Aside from the donation aspect, allowing dancers to engage with the Worcester community, what makes the benefit performance so special is that anyone is able to choreograph a dance for the performance. I was fortunate enough to be a part of two outstanding musical theatre numbers, choreographed by a friend of mine (who is an excellent dancer AND teacher!) and everyone in the entire ensemble brought their A game for the show. Performance videos are linked here if anyone is interested in watching!

Additionally, earlier this week I was able to attend the Holy Cross Orchestra & Wind Ensemble Concert, titled a Cinematic Odyssey, where they performed an amazing assortment of songs from film soundtracks (including but not limited to Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Star Wars). It is always such a joy to see the talents and accomplishments of fellow students be showcased and celebrated, and I’ve always been in awe of the support the Holy Cross community gives one another. I’ve also provided the livestream of the concert here if you’re interested.

This past weekend, I was also able to tear up the dance floor on two separate occasions. First, the sophomore class hosted a casino-themed ball (with no real gambling!) that not only supported our class but also brought us together. It was nothing short of a blast to be able to dance alongside my best friends and spend time together as if we were at senior prom again. Secondly, the Black Student Union (BSU) in collaboration with the Women’s Basketball Team hosted a Sneaker Ball, which was another great way of bringing people together to show support for the community during Black History Month. (Sneakers are also significantly more comfortable to dance in, which is much appreciated!)

Besides time spent with friends, I have also been busy thinking about how I want to spend my summer (yes, already). The Career Center, located on the second floor of Hogan Campus Center, has been an excellent resource in helping me (as well as other students) craft and polish my resume, search for internships, and prepare for interviews.

Lastly, this month has welcomed the liturgical season of Lent on campus. St. Joseph’s Memorial Chapel was filled with students and community members for a whopping four celebrations of Ash Wednesday. It was really special to see everyone embrace the new season together and later see classmates and friends bearing the cross on their foreheads. Throughout the season of Lent, I will be saying a Rosary at least two times a week, in addition to continued attendance at Mass and adoration. So far it has been going really well, and I’ve appreciated the opportunity to slow down and pray throughout the day. And of course, coming full circle to the start of this post, participation in Spring Break Immersion will invite me to practice humility (in true Jesuit fashion) during this season of Lent.

Wishing you all a safe, restful and wonderful spring break – hope the weather is warm and the experiences are blessed! Thank you for reading!

Hello everyone! After a wonderful and restful winter break, I am thrilled to be back at Holy Cross for the new semester! Even though it’s only been a few weeks, it has been such a joy to reunite with my friends and spend time together. Aside from the family dinners and movie nights, one highlight has been watching both the men’s and women’s basketball teams play (and win!) against Boston University in an electric and high-energy double header (complete with plenty of Purple Pride and an appearance from the now-viral swim team). In addition, last night, we watched the Holy Cross Department of Theatre and Dance production of Oklahoma! , which was absolutely spectacular. If you have the chance, I highly recommend you come see it at the Prior Performing Arts Center on campus – it runs through this weekend as well as the next. And of course, it isn’t winter at Holy Cross without an SGA-sponsored trip to the Worcester Common Oval for some ice skating (you may remember we did something similar last year, and it was just as fun!) and late night sledding down Freshman Field.

In terms of academics, I am pleased to report that my classes are all going well! Although Holy Cross does offer the option for students to add and/or drop a class with no mark on their transcript for the first week of the semester, I personally found no need for it. This semester, I am taking a French class for the first time since high school (to fulfill one of Holy Cross’ language requirements), and I’ve really enjoyed immersing myself with the language again and having the ability to improve my fluency at the collegiate level. 

However, a new schedule of classes means that a new period of adjustment must naturally take place. These past few weeks have been essential in my establishment of a new routine for the semester (i.e. finding convenient places to study and coordinating meal times with friends) while also keeping up with my extracurricular involvements from last semester. For example, the Holy Cross Dance Ensemble has been working tirelessly to ensure that our dances are as clean as they can be for our benefit performance next Friday. For this performance, the musical theatre class and I are dancing to two songs – “Dancing Through Life” and “Seize the Day” – and it has been a challenging yet worthwhile endeavor that is sure to shine onstage.

Finally, this semester has also welcomed back my weekly tours on campus, which have been such a great way of engaging with not only prospective students and their families, but with the campus as well. In addition to tours, prospective students can also demonstrate their interest in Holy Cross by attending online webinars that offer tips to help with the college process. On February 20th at 7pm EST, a friend of mine and I will be panelists at the webinar discussing “5 Tips to Finding the Right School” if you’re interested in attending!

Thank you as always for reading!

 

 

Hello everyone!! It’s wild to me how we are nearing the end of the end of the semester and this will be my last post until the New Year. This semester has absolutely flown by and although finals week was a tough hill to climb, we have successfully made it to the other side! The fact that I’m finished with another semester at Holy Cross is bittersweet: while I am thankful to have the time to relax at home with family and enjoy the holiday season, I will be missing my friends and the community at Holy Cross tremendously. I’ve mentioned before how study abroad has been quite the buzz on campus as of late, and it really puts into perspective how little time we really have at Holy Cross. While this is a troubling and even frightening realization for sure, I’ve been doing my best not to worry about it too much and instead embrace each moment as is. Besides, at the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for right in front of me, and I honestly can’t end my third semester at Holy Cross feeling anything but grateful.

Without a doubt, the Christmas season is my favorite season to experience at Holy Cross. Though it is short-lived, as the end of the semester only allows us to celebrate about half of Advent together, it is overflowing with joy nonetheless.  The annual Tree Lighting, organized by the Holy Cross Purple Key Society and executed alongside the efforts and talents of various music groups on campus, is a great way for the student body to experience the classic magic of Christmas together. After the tree lighting, there was even a sleigh ride organized by the Resident Hall Association, and my friends and I (shoutout to the girlies!) enjoyed a lively sleigh ride around campus while singing “Sleigh Ride.” In addition, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) always does a great job at bringing the holiday spirit to campus. This year’s Winter Weekend was named “The CAB Express,” and it featured a holiday shop of local small businesses, mug-making, bear-stuffing (Barry and I pictured below!), tote bag decorating, a gingerbread house contest, and of course, plenty of hot chocolate.

The peak of all of this holiday celebration has got to be Holy Cross’ Celebration of Lessons and Carols. Every year, the chapel is filled to the brim with students, families, alumni and community members all gathered to participate (in-person or via livestream) in one of Holy Cross’ most beloved traditions. As I mentioned before, I was part of the choir this year, where we sang some classic Christmas songs like “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night” (conducted by one of my good friends!) and “O Come All Ye Faithful” (my personal favorite), as well as some newer carols, a few even arranged by members of the Holy Cross community. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to sing alongside many of my friends, who performed in the choir, in the orchestra and even in the organ loft, and seeing my family sit proudly in the front row meant the world to me.

Lastly, it wouldn’t be the Christmas season without Kimball Dining Hall’s Christmas dinner, accompanied by festive decor and Christmas songs, two Secret Santas, a Yankee Swap, and caroling after mass (you had to be there). These are the memories I will hold onto as I approach winter break – the ones spent with the people who make Holy Cross what it is. I will miss them so much over break, but I am eager to what is in store next for us on the Hill.

I hope everyone has a very happy holidays filled with joy and good health – I’ll be back in 2024 for another semester of fun, faith & friendship!

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!

 

 

Welcome back everyone!! After a relaxing and enjoyable summer spent with family and friends, it feels hard to believe that it is already mid-September and the leaves on O’Kane and Fenwick Halls are preparing for their gorgeous autumnal transformation.

When I first moved into my new dorm in Loyola Hall almost four weeks ago, I was greeted by so many of my friends, who were all so enthusiastic about my arrival and willing to help me unpack, despite having other campus commitments at the time. I was instantly reunited not only with such amazing friends, but with the unforgettable Holy Cross community that had drawn me to the Hill in the first place. Within no time, we were back attending masses, hanging out in our dorms, going to the gym (this is a new development, stay tuned) or laughing at Kimball family dinners together. We even attended a Woo Sox game at Polar Park early in the semester, and while I cannot tell you what happened during the actual game, I can tell you that just being outside and spending that time with such great friends was a blast in itself.

And of course, we’ve been showing off our Purple Pride in the sports stands, too! We cheered on the Holy Cross football team as they won against Merrimack and during the rain delay against Boston College. This weekend is the annual homecoming football game, and I’m hoping the Crusaders can pull out another win against Colgate!

In terms of academics, I’ve found this semester’s lineup to be an exciting yet challenging journey thus far. A highlight is definitely my Worlds of C.S. Lewis class, where we are examining Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia through a religious lens, accompanied by a variety of Lewis’ other texts. I am also continuing to work through the English major with studies centered around Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson and Frederick Douglass, to name a few.

Finally, while I was eager to reconnect with the people and organizations that I discovered last year, I also wanted to take advantage of new extracurricular opportunities this year on the Hill. Last weekend, I signed up for many new clubs at the Co-Curricular Extravaganza, and even stepped out of my comfort zone and tried out for the dance ensemble earlier this month! As a girlie with very little dance experience, I was a little worried at first, but I am so glad that I pushed past my doubt and did it anyways! The experience so far has been fantastic, and I am so thankful for the dance community that has welcomed me with open arms.

If I were to leave you with one thing as I close out this entry, it would be to embrace newness. Cherish what is already there – the memories made, the friendships formed – but don’t be afraid of what’s next. Throw yourself into the year, and enjoy all that is to come!