Alicia Carcione '15

It’s that time of year! Since returning from Thanksgiving break this weekend, plenty of decorations have been put up all around campus. There’s paper snowflakes outside my door and cheery carols playing from a room or two at nearly any given moment. Kimball has been all decked out, as well! Thursday night, there was one of the Breakfast for Dinner meals, but the pancakes and bacon weren’t the most exciting parts. There were Christmas carols playing, Santa stopped by, there was coloring and a raffle…certainly a great way to destress from all the work the end of a semester promises!

destressin' and exercisin'

And a lot of work there is still left to do! I have a big presentation coming up in my Russian Cinema class and a Montserrat paper, as well. Tomorrow, I have an in class essay in my English class. After a long week of school, I love going to the gym at Loyola. That’s always a good way to take my mind off all the work even for just a little bit!

The holiday spirit on campus is really keeping a lot of us, myself included, motivated to get through these next couple of weeks. And while going home for Christmas will be a wonderful break, I have to say that I’m already starting to feel a little sentimental about leaving Worcester for that long of a time. Here’s hoping that these next couple of weeks are as painless as possible, productive, and I can end my first semester at HC with a smile.

Updates in the future, as always!

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Happy Weekend, everyone!  I can’t say that life on campus is too shabby, nowadays. Papers have been due, others have been returned, group projects are being made…but the close community Holy Cross offers makes it so that no hardworking student feels alone.

Last Wednesday night, the extended orientation leaders in my dorm put on an event where students got to talk about their transition to college and what opportunities they’ve been able to explore so far at HC. I was lured into the social meeting place with the promise of milk and cookies, as well as hearing one of my friends speak about her experience. However, I ended up staying for the entire event when I listened to how different and unique everyone’s paths were that all ultimately lead us to the same school.

inside fenwick theatre

The next night, everyone from my Montserrat cluster attended a play in Fenwick Theatre. The very talented students put on The Changeling and I think it’s pretty safe to say that the production was unlike any that I’ve ever seen before. [And yes, I’ve actually seen my fair share of plays.] After the performance ended, the students, as well as the director, were kind enough to hold a discussion and answered everyone’s questions about the twisted, complex, and well written play.

With Thanksgiving break just around the corner, the academic load has been getting pretty heavy. This past week, I had three important papers due! While I had to put in a lot of extra hours to complete my assignments, I found myself remembering a point made in the discussion on that Wednesday. At Holy Cross, we students all have goals and the determination to work hard. In this kind of environment, it is easy to find friends who will study with you, take a trip to the library with, or even just commiserate with you.

Last night, the basketball team took on Boston College at the DCU Center…and won! It was great to see all the purple and black in the crowd. Many of us went over in the bus together, our school spirit undeniable in the enclosed space.

outside the dcu center

After two days of class on Monday and Tuesday, it’ll be Thanksgiving Break! I’ll be sure to update once back on the hill.

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turns out my jacket can handle weather on both coasts

While it’s been nearly a week since our unexpected blizzard hit campus, the piles here and there of snow continue to remind me to put on the boots and pull on a jacket. I knew that going to school in Worcester would mean I’d get my fair share of exposure to snow. I didn’t realize it was going to start in late October, though!
Last weekend was Family Weekend. While my family was still across the country, I discovered that it was still a nice change of pace to see people other than 18-21 year olds walking up and down the hills of HC. Getting a chance to meet the families of some of my new friends was also a highlight.

Used to performing choral recitals to rows of family members my whole life, I was worried that my first College Choir concert at Holy Cross would prove to be disappointing without mom or dad there to see me. However, the friendly attitudes of the students were very encouraging and I realized that we were all singing as a community and each of us was being celebrated as proud students of the college.

I had been very excited for Halloween this year. It’s always been a favorite holiday of mine (right up there with Christmas), so I was psyched to experience it at a college level. The snow may have given a winter wonderland vibe to the campus, but the students were definitely in more of a spooky mood. There was a Haunted House in Healy and decorations were put up all over halls on campus. My hall even painted miniature pumpkins together one night.

The snow may have altered some of our plans, seeing how wicked cold [check me out and my East Coast lingo] it was outside on Saturday night. There wasn’t reason to worry, however. Decked out in costumes and the whole nine yards, there’s still fun to be had wherever you are on the hill.

cold outside? come on in dinand and study!

School hasn’t been all fun and games. I had a midterm in my Russian Cinema class on Monday and had to turn in a paper for Montserrat just yesterday. To help me out with these assignments, among others, a quick [or not] stop at Dinand Library is always an excellent option. I’m even here right now!

I’ll be sure to keep you posted in the future. Hope your November is headed off to a great start!

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Inside the Chapel

How’s it going, everyone? As I sit here in my dorm room on this Sunday evening, I’m going to tell you a bit about my experience thus far at the College of the Holy Cross!

Coming from the Bay Area in California, I wasn’t sure what I wanted in a college. I toured here and there, this coast and that coast. I knew I was ready for a totally different experience than high school, but I didn’t have my heart set anywhere. After deciding to fly to the Boston area with my dad last October to look at schools, my college counselor advised that I look at Holy Cross. Though I knew very little about the institution, I took her advice and visited the campus.

Immediately, I could sense the welcoming atmosphere HC had to offer. The campus is absolutely beautiful, but it wasn’t just the pretty trees and gorgeous chapel that hooked me.  This school was a community. They had tremendous school spirit, which I could grasp from my first visit to the bookstore, and a genuine love for their college.
After I fell for Holy Cross, I still had some waiting to do, naturally.  My visit had confirmed to me that I wanted a small community dedicated not only to academics, but to service and extracurriculars. The liberal arts education allows for students to explore different areas of study and test the waters before declaring a major. While my lifelong interest in English will most likely lead me down that path in my future, it’s been wonderful to have the freedom to take other classes, as well. Once I finally received my acceptance letter, it was time to start thinking about my transition from high school to college, from West Coast to East Coast.

The Famous Hunter Boots

So far, the transition has been pretty effortless, given the support and advice from the truly very friendly people at Holy Cross. Being involved in the College Choir, as well as meeting friends through classes, social events, and my dorm, I’ve been lucky enough to meet a number of people who taught me about doing my laundry, managing my time, navigating the hilly campus, as well as informing me about East Coast stables, Hunter Boots and Sperry’s.

There’s plenty more for me to learn, inside and outside of the classroom. I’ll keep you posted!

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