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!
