Alicia Carcione '15

Hey, everyone!

I’ve been back at school for a while now and figured I’d keep you all updated! So far, I’m having a blast, there’s so much going on at Holy Cross and it’s only February!

As far as classes go, I’m fortunate to really be getting into my English major with courses in both 20th Century American and 20th Century British Literature. As someone who obviously has a great interest  in reading and writing, it’s incredible how much material I am able to cover along with my professors and classmates in these courses. I’m also continuing with French, currently enrolled in the 202 class this semester. I am also fulfilling my second course in the Social Science core requirements with a class in Sociology. While I took Psychology last year, it’s interesting to see how this particular social science has its unique identity, a focus much more on social relationships and interactions between human beings than Psych.

As far as events, it was so great to watch the Mr. Valentine competition this past Thursday, hosted by the Relay for Life group. One of my best friends has been involved with the Relay for Life club for the past two years and I think it was such an excellent idea that the committee decided to put on a pageant of sorts with hilarious segments of beachwear and talent before crowning a winner. Relay for Life is such an important event that aids cancer research and the competition was a great, light-hearted way to acknowledge the celebration of life and laughter, especially since it was held on Valentine’s Day. The actual Relay will be taking place in April and I’m already registered and ready to go!

the mr. valentine competition about to begin

Backtracking a little bit, it’s hard to think about the East Coast these days without recognition of the crazy amount of snow we’ve had lately! A couple of weekends ago, Holy Cross was definitely hit by the Nor’easter called Nemo. I was bombarded by texts and calls from family members and friends back West asking how I was holding up in the blizzard. How was I holding up? To be honest, I got really excited! Sure, I’d like the temperature to be warmer, but it’s been cold the entire semester. At least the snow was beautiful! Honestly, anything on our campus is pretty much eye candy. It was super fun to make the trek down to Kimball in the fresh new powder. I think a lot of my East Coast friends thought I was getting a little too excited, but I’m telling you, you can be from California and enjoy it!

a picture my friend took just after nemo hit

There’s plenty more excitement happening on the hill and I can’t wait to tell you more about it! Hope you’re all enjoying your winter, wherever you are!

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Hey, everyone!

One of the great parts about being a student at Holy Cross is getting the chance to have a wonderful [and quite leisurely] Winter Vacation to spend time with friends and family. [See the Academic Calendar] After finals, I’ve had a chance to catch up with friends and relax after the academic marathon that is the first couple weeks of December.

Since I still have a little while before I head back to Massachusetts, though the day is growing closer, I am getting more and more ready for my fourth semester.

While the Holy Cross community was welcoming to me from the very start, it wasn’t until this past semester that I realized that while I’ve adjusted to college life, each new semester offers more lessons of independence and that while it’s great to find a groove from the beginning of your college career, it’s valuable to keep seeking out new opportunities and continue to meet new people.

While this year I’ve already added the Holy Cross experiences of intramural soccer, SPUD, and exercise classes, among others, I am eager to discover more events and activities this semester.

Academically, I will be continuing with my English major by taking both 20th Century American Literature, along with 20th Century British Literature. I will also be taking French 202 and a class in Sociology.

This spring semester is looking like a pretty important one, partially because I’m still waiting to hear back from the Study Abroad offices and will eventually have to finalize a decision on whether or not I will be on or off campus next year! It’s a really big decision and while I naturally have some nerves, it’s been incredibly reassuring to hear from various students who have studied in a number of locations [from England to France to Scotland to DC to Ireland, etc.] that they’ve LOVED their experiences! As someone who is interested in travel and has been lucky enough to have done a fair amount in the past, it’s very comforting to attend a school when this is a much encouraged opportunity and definitely not out of the ordinary. While being away from Worcester for a whole year of my college career sounds daunting, I am lucky enough to have a number of friends who are debating this same option for our Junior year. I will admit that it’s nice I don’t have to make any commitment just yet!

Hope your 2013 is off to a great start! I have a feeling that it’s going to be a great year!

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Haven’t made a post in a while, but that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been a lot more activity happening on the hill!

After having a relaxing October break back home, it was time to hit the books and get to the heart of first semester. By the end of October, it was time for Family Weekend. Last year during this time, we had a blizzard. This time, we were getting ready for a hurricane! Luckily, Hurricane Sandy did not disturb our Halloween plans as students were dressed up, eating candy, and going to the annual Healy Haunted House the weekend before All Hallow’s Eve.

Since my family was not able to make the trip across the US for the weekend, I was so thankful to enjoy some great food and family time by spending it with the families of various friends of mine. The College Choir’s concert was a great success on Friday night. After a great tailgate before a Saturday football game, I was lucky enough to be invited to Worcester’s The Sole Proprietor  with one of my friends, her parents, and another of our friends. And let me just say this…the food is excellent! I wish I had some more of it right about now!

Hurricane Sandy gave us a three day week since we were locked in our dorms for that Monday and Tuesday, but the campus was barely affected, which was a blessing.

Three of my friends from Holy Cross went along to Boston with me to visit one of my friends from home that goes to school in the city. It was so great to have friends from both my home life and college life meet each other in one of my favorite cities in the world! It didn’t hurt that Holy Cross offers free shuttles to Boston during the weekends!

friends hitting the streets of boston

This past weekend, I was asked to help out with the Open House. I spoke with two other students about being a college student in Worcester. It felt great to have a hand in informing perspective students about the college.

While intramural soccer has been the extent of my Holy Cross athleticism, I’ve been a big athletic supporter this year. On top of a few major football games that draw big crowds of Crusaders, I’ve recently been to a hockey game and attended a basketball game tonight! Both were successes!

with friends at family weekend tailgate

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I’m planning on spending it with a friend who lives in New Jersey. After the break, I have to prepare for the end of the semester workload as my last tests, papers, and assessments start to happen. I’ll let you know how it goes!

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Hello, everyone! I know that this has been my first blog post since the new year, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been anything to tell! Now that I’ve been able to settle into my new schedule, I figured it was about time to let you all know about how I’ve been keeping myself busy back on Mount St. James!

This year, I have moved to a pretty desirable location on Easy Street, Lehy Hall! It’s great to have friends on my floor and even more downstairs, while still being able to meet some new people and smile at more friendly faces.

Having declared an English major in April of last year, I am now in CRAW Poetry, a course that I will complete and have it go towards my major. While this course will really start me off in my academic endeavors, I am fortunate to have a background in Holy Cross English with a CRAW Fiction class last year and my Montserrat, which had a literature focus.

Along with English, I am taking courses in Philosophy, French, and Religion.

Classes keep me plenty busy, as can be expected as a Holy Cross Crusader. However, my schedule doesn’t end with the final minute of class. I have decided to continue being part of the College Choir, which has been a great decision. We’ve already even had the pleasure of singing at the Presidential Inauguration a couple of weeks ago!

Singing at the Inauguration (I'm in the middle of the front row!)

Looking for some other ways to become involved in the Holy Cross community, I have joined SPUD and volunteer with two of my friends at St. Mary’s, part of the Befriending the Elderly division. We’ve only had two visits so far, but it’s been eye opening and a great way to interact with people in such a different stage of life as myself and my classmates.

I’ve joined an intramural soccer team and have been taking zumba classes in the Hart Center. They’re both great chances for coping with stress, having a good time, and clocking in some hours of some good old fashioned exercise during the week!

Hart Center

Well, I have a French exam tomorrow, so it’s time to hit the books! Until next time!

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The end of the year has been filled with plenty to keep the students of Holy Cross busy. With online registration last week, exams, essays, athletic events, Relay for Life, a student production of an original play, and my dorm’s Mr. Mulledy competition, it’s been hard to get bored on Mt. St. James.

Today was the Accepted Students Day at the College and I was able to meet a couple prospective students.  From all that I’ve heard, the day was a success and hopefully many of the new Crusaders were able to enjoy a glance of the next four years here!

If you’re still pondering your decision and are curious about Holy Cross, I figured I’d give a little list of reasons why I’ve lately been glad I made my choice to be a Crusader!

1. The availability of the professors for office hours, due to small class sizes and enthusiastic instructors.

2. Frozen yogurt at Kimball. Always hits the spot. Especially with rainbow sprinkles.

3. Sense of community. Can’t walk from building to building without having a person or two to wave and smile at.

4. I always feel safe. Whether I’m walking to class at 8:45 am or walking back to my dorm at 2:30 am, there is never a doubt in my mind that I’m going to make it safely to my destination.

5. Though I have yet to finish my first year at Holy Cross, it’s already been everything I wanted in a college experience and more.

Here’s ’til next time!

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Though I had to bring out the jacket to walk to Kimball this evening, this past week has been wonderfully sunny. The workload, especially a research paper I had to complete for History last Tuesday, has been difficult to concentrate on because of the beautiful weather. It’s not all such a bad thing, though. Especially with daylight savings, there’s even more chances to appreciate the gorgeous campus I still find it hard to believe that I live on!

Lately, walking on Easy Street [where many of the dorms are] guarantees multiple groups of students in their colorful springtime clothes blasting tunes from their rooms, playing frisbee, catching some rays, or having a game of catch.

up for a game on easy street?

Other recent moments of Crusader spirit occurred on St. Patrick’s Day last weekend. With such a passionate group of Irish American students on the hill, it was no surprise how much celebrating happened. Kimball served a special corned beef and cabbage dinner and everywhere you turned, you could see green!

During the day, there was a festival outside of Kimball, complete with free kettle corn, spin art stations, live music, and a photo station! The entire day was a great opportunity to celebrate with friends, Irish or otherwise. The smiles and “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” wishes said all day really encapsulated the tight knit student community at Holy Cross.

at holy cross, my friends and i have all the luck

There’s only one more full week until Easter Break rolls around, but there’s still plenty left to do! Good luck to all those receiving letters from admissions sometime this week and thanks for reading!

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While I haven’t updated the blog in a while, that certainly doesn’t mean that life on the Holy Cross campus has been at a standstill!

I’ve just come back from Spring Break where I got the grand tour of my friends’ states and their homes. Since I will be going back home for Easter in a couple weeks, I decided that it would be an enjoyable experience to visit with some of my new college friends for this past week.

First, I stayed with a friend who lives just outside Worcester. While I have been living in this city for a number of months now, it was great to see it as a resident and not just a college student. We saw movies, bought decorations for St. Patrick’s Day, and shopped around at places like Blackstone and the Solomon Pond Mall.

blackstone's only a short distance from HC

I also was lucky enough to visit friends in Connecticut and New Jersey, having a couple of fun stops in NYC and the Jersey Shore! While the wind was chilly all around and we even experienced some early March snow, the weather since returning this past Sunday has been beautiful!

My friends and I enjoyed the weather yesterday by shedding the heavy coats, boots, and gloves and lounging outside the Hogan Center to do some homework and listen to some tunes.

Before spring break, my Montserrat cluster participated in  a 24 hour technology fast. While it was certainly difficult to coordinate getting together for dinner and other practicalities, it was honestly an insightful experience that gave me a new perspective on our generation’s dependency on all those electronic devices.

hart center...where the hockey happens

My friends and I have gone to two of the men’s hockey games at the Hart Center. Coming from the West Coast where professional hockey is all I would be exposed to from the sport, it’s been a really great way for me to unwind on a Friday or Saturday evening.

I’ll keep you updated as the semester progresses! Happy March, everyone!

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Now that I’ve had a chance to settle into the second semester, I figured it was time for another post!

Life on campus this second semester is lively as it ever was beforehand. I went to a basketball game last weekend and heard from friends that the BSU Fashion Show this past Friday was fabulous. Kimball even helped students celebrate last night’s big game by having chicken wings, nachos, and other typical Super Bowl Sunday cuisine.

just outside of seelos

My Montserrat seminar already had its first event in our Seelos Spring Film Series. From the looks of the schedule, the upcoming months have many opportunities for viewing some great movies even outside of Montserrat. For a movie lover like myself, this is great news!

Having a new set of classes is one of the biggest changes my friends and I have experienced starting out the new semester. While continuing my Montserrat seminar, I also have classes in Psychology, Visual Arts, and History.

I’ve continued to be involved with the College Choir, which is always a very welcoming environment. It’s a great place to wind down from a long day of classes, running up and down flights of stairs and hills.

Well, I guess that’s it for now. Here’s ’til next time!

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January’s in full swing and while having the long Winter Break is certainly relaxing and giving me a great deal of time to catch up with high school friends back home, there’s more than a few things that I miss about being at Holy Cross. Here’s a short list:

– Not being able to walk down the hall without hearing tunes coming from someone’s room

– Always having people to study with on the weeknights for whatever subject necessary

– Frozen yogurt in Kimball. With lots of rainbow sprinkles.

– Cereal and juice runs at the Lobby Shop

– Being able to walk to a friend’s room whenever. And later have others stop by.

– Watching Project Runway or That ’70s Show while working out at Loyola

– Sneaking off to a secluded corner in Dinand to read or study in quiet

– Breaking out the heels on the weekends to feel taller, if only for a few hours

– Saturday and Sunday Brunches with my friends
Thinking of everything on this list is making me miss Holy Cross even more…and there’s still so much I could put down! I can’t wait to start the Second Semester in a couple of weeks and I’ll be sure to let you all know how that goes. Thanks for reading!

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Hello from California!

While I’m back home for our leisurely long break, I’m still recovering from finals last week. Quiet hours in the dorms were extended and became 24/7 and all the Crusaders were definitely taking advantage of it.

Though Holy Cross students no doubt love to enjoy themselves, we also study hard. From Dinand to the Science Library, books and laptops were pulled out all day and all night.

midnight breakfast, anyone?

The school is very understanding of the stress students are going through. Something my friends and I took advantage of more than once was the nightly Midnight Breakfasts. After the first one occurred at Kimball, Crossroads became the spot for the remainder of the week.  There was bacon, eggs, home fries, breakfast sandwiches, orange juice…pretty much anything you might need to jump start your late night study sessions.

Though I have yet to have a course in the Science buildings, my friends and I were able to get a nice study room in Smith Labs  one evening and all work there. Later on in the week, a friend and I even treated ourselves to a lunch at the Science Cafe, which is known around campus as the most delicious dining spot on Mt. St. James.

I’m so happy to be home and get quality time with my family and friends over here. But, I have to be honest, I’m already missing my college friends and life in Worcester. Next semester, with the promise of new classes and probably some snow, is going to be very exciting. Here’s hoping 2012 brings even nearly as many milestones as 2011 has! Happy Holidays, everyone!

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