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In Praise of the Holy Cross Libraries

I’ve spoken of the beauty of Holy Cross’s famed Dinand Library with its elegant steps arising from the majestic Linden Lane. However, I’ve yet to discusses the true beauty of the library system at the College, that is, how expansive the library’s collections are and how helpful the dedicated team of librarians is!

To start, the library system at Holy Cross consists of a team of librarians who all specialize in certain disciplines. The librarians work in close conjunction with academic departments and students to ensure that the collections are up to date with the resources students need for class and research. Further, the librarians are dedicated to ensuring that course reserves are always met, thus ensuring equitable obtainment of textbooks and other resources for classes that some students may not be able to afford.

The librarian team may be the friendliest group on campus (and that’s saying a lot as everyone at HC is friendly beyond belief)! I’ve had wonderful discussions with the librarians concerning my personal research and other matters.

I have never had an issue getting a book or journal article for class or personal research before. THe ILLIAD (interlibrary loan system) allows HC to request books outside of our collections from other universities. More importantly, if you are unable to get a book HC has a no-questions-asked purchasing policy, meaning that students will always be able to get the resources they need for their studies!

One of the upper-reading rooms in Dinand Library where students can study.
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Study Abroad at the University of Oxford!

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here, but I’m finally back! And with good news! Ever since January, I have been studying at Mansfield College at the University of Oxford with five other Holy Cross students during the latter half of the pandemic.

All sophomores at the College have the wonderful opportunity of applying to study abroad in a variety of places during their junior year such as South America, the UK, Germany, Athens, France, China, India, and a wide range of other places – all at the top universities of each respective country!

As noted by this recent report, for the last decade Holy Cross has been the top school for placing students in interesting and rigorous study abroad programs!

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Mansfield College at Oxford, where I am able to undertake the rigorous tutorial system which consists of writing a paper each week that I present to my tutor for rigorous questioning.

Small class sizes at Holy Cross as well as seminars have greatly prepared for me the defense of my arguments in front of my tutors. Further, all the tutors here have commented that Holy Cross students present some of the best analysis and writing they have ever seen, a testament to our rigorous curriculum and great professors back at home!

While studying at Oxford requires a lot of dedicated studying and time management

skills  (something HC has prepared us all for), there still has been some time to get out and view the amazing nature and architecture scattered throughout the city. Dazzling towers and magnificent churches line the streets throughout Oxford, making for an amazing view for daily walks to the library!

To all prospective students, studying abroad has been one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience, and Holy Cross is amazing in sending students wherever they want to go!

Check out the pictures below for a glimpse into the sights I experience every day!

The towering entrance to the famed Christ Church College
My friend Nina making a cameo in a picture of Mansfield’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics library!
Me in front of the famed Radcliffe Camera Library building known to be a staple of the City of Oxford!
The beautiful common of Mansfield College with the library and administrative building in the background!

 
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Success with the Holy Cross Moot Court Team at Nationals!

During winter break, instead of skiing or playing videogames, the Holy Cross Moot Court Team headed to the American Moot Court Association’s national tournament in Baton Rouge, Lousiana!

Arriving in Lousiana several days before the tournament I, as well as the seven other students who earned national bids, practiced our oral arguments in the southern warmth and humidity – a pleasing change from the harsh arctic weather that plagues the North East in the winter months!

Continuing Our Pursuit of Rigorous Education and Cultural Awareness 

Despite the intense focus on practice and preparation for competing on the top stage in undergraduate moot court, the team approached the location of the tournament as an opportunity to further educate themselves. Seeking to always maintain the Holy Cross commitment to cultural awareness and rigorous dedication, we ate authentic food such as cajun fish dishes and jambalaya, visited historic monuments, and toured the national WWII museum!

A Review of the National Competition

After the first day of the national competition, Holy Cross advanced half of their teams to the second day of oral arguments – an impressive feat when competing against the best programs in the entire nation!

At the end of the competition, Holy Cross pulled off the fantastic feat of having three students receive top orator awards.  Amber Jon ranked in at first place for the top orator competition! Further, William Hamilton also placed fourth in the top orator rankings! Also, Willem Mcgee also received a top orator award!

Reflection 

Although I personally failed to advance to the second day of competition, I viewed the tournament as an experience that will make me a better moot-courter for the next two years! I cannot wait to hit the ground running for next year’s competition, where I hope to make it to nationals again!

 

The eight members of the Holy Cross Moot Court Team who all earned bids to the national tournament by winning at regional tournaments.
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Christmas on the Hill!

Christmastime at Holy Cross is one of the best times to be a part of the campus community. From dorm halls holding door decorating contests to the chaplain’s office and school groups offering services for students who celebrate Hannukah and Kwanza, there is something to do for students from all sorts of different backgrounds.

As students engage in spreading Christmas cheer by decorating their dorm rooms the school puts on major events that the whole community takes part of. First, there is the annual Christmas tree lighting where students partake in Christma carols, hot cocoa, cookies, and pictures with Santa Clause during the celebration of lighting the campus Christmas tree in front of the historic O’Kane Hall! Then there is the “Festival of Lessons and Carols” where the whole community squeezes into Saint Joseph’s Chapel to sing Christmas songs deep into the night!

Despite the deep connection of Christianity to the celebration of Christmas, one does not have to be a practicing Christian to be part of the campus cheer during the season. Whether Jewish, Muslim, or non-practicing, the true essence of Christmastime at Holy Cross rests in everyone’s love and respect for each other. We come together as a community to celebrate every unique individual that makes Holy Cross such an amazing place for college.

Saint Joseph’s Chapel where the popular Festival of Lessons and Carols is held.
The clock tower of O’Kane hall sporting festive snow and icicles
The Nativity Scene set up before the entrance to the historic O’Kane Hall.
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Thanksgiving at the Cross!

It’s that time on campus! The brisk Worcester winter has settled on campus as we all crank up the heat in our dorm rooms and trade out the sweatshirts for our heavier winter jackets, hats, and gloves. Switching out or ice coffees and teas for hot coffee and chocolate from Cool Beans and Cafe Babel, the winter spirit really is flourishing on campus!

A staple of wintertime on the Hill is our annual Thanksgiving dinner at Kimball Dining Hall! This year’s meal included turkey (of course), mash potatoes, gravy, squash, cranberry sauce, rolls, salad, corn, apple cider, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and vanilla ice cream! As I had moot court practice later that night that our captain decided that we would all have a team Thanksgiving dinner before we headed off to practice our oral arguments.

Due to Kimball Thanksgiving Dinner being so popular, the moot court team arrived 15 minutes before dinner began to get to the front of the line. As we waited for dining services to put all the food out a line began to form behind us that looped all the way around the entire dining room! Filling our plates up with a variety of traditional Thanksgiving food we quickly hurried off to our 18 person table where we all feasted, stuffing ourselves with food till we could barely move.  Eating and laughing about funny moments between the team members, time quickly flew by, forcing us to hurry to our practice with pumpkin and apple pies with ice cream on our plates. Our coaches met us laughing, asking us why none of us brought a pie for themselves. Just as the Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated the friendship and community between the two peoples at the first Thanksgiving, the student body celebrates the friendship and community that permeates throughout the Holy Cross campus.

Kimball Dining Hall where the majority of campus gathers to eat meals.
A picture of the pumpkin pie Holy Cross students were treated to at Thanksgiving Dinner.
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What Am I Thankful For?

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I have decided that it would be a fruitful exercise for myself, as well as any prospective students, to discuss why I am so thankful for my Holy Cross education.

At the expense of sounding cliche, I am so thankful for all the friends I have made so far at my time on the Hill. I could have never imagined the amount and quality of friends I find myself having now during my studies. Actually, being unable to make any friends at college was one of my biggest, if not the biggest, fears I had the summer before I came to campus for the first time. However, such fears of mine were greatly misplaced. I first met my two closest friends during Fall Orientation, and we have stuck together ever since. Furthermore, through my classes, living situation, extra-curricular activities, and a plethora of social events, I have made more friends than I could have ever imagined.

These people I have become friends with over the past year and a half have greatly contributed to the improvement of my self-character, something that I will be forever thankful for. All the memories and life lessons we have taught each other, or have received together, will never leave me.  As I toured, researched, and considered the College of the Holy Cross as a destination for my undergraduate studies I had constantly heard everyone talk about how the Holy Cross community was so friendly and caring; thinking that much of that could be chalked up to marketing. However, I can testify that such language is not marketing, but simply the truth. Administrators, students, professors, and even maintenance workers all hold relationships that lead to a loving, caring, and joyful community on the Hill that is a once in a lifetime experience.

I am so thankful that I am surrounded by such a great community that will stay with me for the rest of my life.  If making friends or having a great community around you is a must for your undergraduate experience, I highly suggest becoming a part of the Holy Cross Family.

A Group of Friends that Will Never Break Up

 
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A First Year in Review

With the year winding down (or maybe not in the case of final papers and exams) I have decided to reflect on all of the contents of my first year as a crusader.

Starting out the year with knowing absolutely no one on campus I had no clue how my first year at college was going to be. Would I make friends? Would I enjoy my classes? Would I stay at Holy Cross after my first year was over? If I could travel back in time I would tell past-me that the answer to all of those questions was a resounding yes.

Some of my best friends are those who I first met during fall orientation.  As I discussed with our friend group last night, while we’ve only known each other since last August, it feels as though I’ve shared a lifetime with them already. Through classes and extra-curricular activities such as mock trial and moot court, I made friends that have impacted me in ways that I never thought were imaginable. When people claim that the Holy Cross community is like a family, they aren’t just saying that to sound cute, they really mean it.

College classes were my second biggest concern. Looking back at all my courses, I can say that I enjoyed every single one so far. All of my professors were dedicated to seeing their students succeed in their classes. And while the course work at Holy Cross is very rigorous, with the right amount of dedication and effort anything is manageable.  The class content has always been interesting and engaging, and I can say that because of my first year of Holy Cross education I have become both a better student and citizen.

I almost laugh at myself when I think back to the time when I thought there might be a chance that I would transfer from Holy Cross at the end of my first year. I wouldn’t trade away any part of my first year at Holy Cross for anything in the world, even those stressful nights studying for exams or writing papers. The friends, the memories I’ve made with those friends, and everything else I experienced during my first year has made a lasting impact on me.

My experiences at Holy Cross have changed me for the better; I wouldn’t trade that away for anything.

My first-year home, Hanselman Hall.
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Hitting the Airwaves with a Bang!
Starting Off with a Bang!

Despite radio being in decline around the country, it is surely not dead at college campuses around the nation, especially at Holy Cross! Throughout the day and night students across campus tune into 88.1FM WCHC to listen to a host of shows created by their very own peers! Holy Cross provides a wide array of shows for everyone’s taste; ranging from sports talk to politics to just your regular music genre station!

A common scene on weeknights is a group of students gathering around a Bluetooth speaker in the common rooms of the dorms listening to the shows of their friends while doing work. Even members of the local Worcester community tune into the station at various times through the stereo systems of their cars. The Holy Cross radio station serves as a way to foster a greater sense of community on campus among the students. Students even have the opportunity to call into a dedicated phone line to be a part of the show themselves!

Essentially, any student has the opportunity to have their very own radio show if they are dedicated enough! All it takes is simply emailing the director to receive training to make sure you are able to operate the equipment and are aware of the FCC rules and regulations.

I was honored this past week by being selected as the first guest on Holy Cross’s very own Jacob Carey’s Sadboi Hours, held on Thursday nights at 11 PM.  The show is dedicated to emotional music that allows individuals to express their feelings. However, the show also features segments that range from pop-culture talk to humorous storying telling that is sure to evoke laughter from everyone listening.

The first airing of the show was received with applause by the greater Holy Cross community. People were posting videos of themselves and friends alike laughing at the commentary of the hosts on their SnapChat stories and other social media platforms.  Upon our return to our dorm building, Jacob and I were met by a gaggle of friends that were ecstatic at the first of many shows to come!

The logo of Sadboi Hours with Jake and Friends
The founder of the show, Jacob Carey
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Nonprofit Conference 2019

The Annual Holy Cross NPCC 

One of the amazing things about going to Holy Cross is the limitless opportunities to expose yourself to different things to continue your education! Back in November, all students received an email about applying to the annual Nonprofit Conference that would be held on campus during the last week of winter break. Being interested in the nonprofit sector myself, I decided to jump at the opportunity to attend the conference. After going over my application which included three essays and securing references from my various professor I submitted my application and eagerly waited to see if I was accepted to the conference.

At the end of November, I received a notification on my phone about the status of my application. While being anxious and excited at the same time, I quickly opened the email to see an acceptance letter to the conference!

As Winter break was coming to a close I arrived on campus a week early to participate in the conference. On the first day, I was able to meet a wide variety of Holy Cross students from all class years, which was honestly one of the best things about the conference. The conference offered the opportunity to make friends among all class years, creating a real sense of community on campus.

The conference provided an abundance of opportunities for students who are considering pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector. From presentations and workshops brought by alumni and professors to alumni dinners and case study sites that we traveled to there was a  never a dull moment.

Case studies provided students with real-life problems facing actual Worcester nonprofits that the students had to solve. The conference provided students with the opportunity to learn and provide for the surrounding Worcester community, truly upholding Holy Cross’ mission of “men and women for others.”