It’s hard to believe that I’m home on winter break and have now successfully completed my first semester at Holy Cross. The time has absolutely flown by and I am so excited to see what new experiences my spring semester will bring. Congratulations to those seniors who went ED and have received their acceptances! I found out December 3^rd of last year and was beyond relieved to know where I would be spending the next four years of my life. For those still waiting or those who did not get the news they were hoping for, hang in there and know that whatever happens will work out in the end. It can be stressful, but when it’s all over it’s the best feeling.

On another note, I have a piece of news to share with you all regarding another activity I will be doing next semester. I received an email earlier today saying that I was chosen to be one of four opinions editors for The Crusader! I’m really excited and can’t wait to get started working on HC’s student-run newspaper. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies so I’m thrilled to be able to continue writing not only here on the blog, but for The Crusader as well. I will be sure to fill you all in on how this goes next semester (perhaps a blog?).

Now, as I sit here at my desk, at home in New York, I can’t help but reflect on a fantastic first semester at Holy Cross. Academically and socially, HC has proven to be everything that I wanted in my college experience. I am very grateful to be a part of the Holy Cross community and cannot wait for the many semesters that await me up on Mount Saint James. For now, I want to wish you all the happiest and healthiest of holidays, and thank you for reading!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I just got back to campus last night from a short-lived five days back at home. Now just two weeks before we get to head back for winter break! I must admit that I am ready for the semester to be over. I have truly enjoyed my classes and time spent at HC, but let me tell you the academics here are no joke. Right now, the amount of work that I have to complete is pretty large and spending five weeks at home sounds wonderful.

However, I can’t wait for my classes next semester! I am taking Poetry and Poetics (English major requirement), French 201, my Acting Natural Montserrat seminar, and Fundamentals of Music (arts common requirement). I am really excited for Fundamentals of Music because I heard we get to learn how to play piano!

I’m sorry for the short length of this blog! Expect an update from me sometime again later this month once I’m not quite as stressed. Happy Holidays everyone! Talk to you soon.

Hey everyone! This weekend I went to visit my friend from high school at Northeastern University in Boston. I thought that today I would tell you guys about my experiences in Boston as I have now gone three times since coming to Holy Cross in August. We really are so lucky to have the shuttle services at HC that we do. After only a short hour-long ride, you’re free from the stress of academics on campus and let loose into the most treasured city of New England.

The shuttle drops off right at Faneuil Hall, ideal for those looking for something to eat or to go shopping. The North End is also nearby where you can get some delectable Italian pastries or some authentic homemade pasta. This weekend I got to take the T to Northeastern, which is always quite the experience as I am terrible with directions. Anyway, I ended up getting there fine and my friend and I had a great time catching up and shopping on Newbury Street. The two other times that I have gone into Boston I was able to shop at Faneuil Hall, eat in the North End, and even experience Boston’s Chinatown.

I feel so fortunate to be able to experience college life on a true campus while also experiencing city life whenever I want to on the weekends. I’ve loved being able to explore Boston more and more while being at HC and look forward to continuing to do so over the next four years. I’m going to attach below the transportation services link for those of you who are curious about the shuttles here on campus. There is another shuttle to Providence that I have yet to take! I see a new blog in the near future…

http://college.holycross.edu/sga/services/transportation.htm

Hello all! This week I thought that I would switch it up and make a quick list for you. Here are my 5 favorite things about HC/college in general!

1. Professors: The professors here are some of the most passionate people that I have ever met. Each one here at HC is 100% devoted to his or her subject and truly a master in his or her field.
2. Classes: The classes here are all so intellectually stimulating. I’m so happy to finally be able to pick courses that I really want to take, unlike in high school where I had to take certain classes that I ideally would not have had to take. Classes in college might at times seem like a lot more work than in high school, but personally I still prefer them. I love that I’m only taking 4 classes, versus 7 in high school; I can really dive into the material and immerse myself in my classes rather than just skimming the surface of each.
3. Campus: For me, the campus here was a large selling point. It really can’t be beat.  The ivy covered brick buildings are truly stunning, especially during these autumnal months. I’ve had many moments walking back late from the library where I look around and think to myself “Wow, I’m so lucky to be here!”
4. New Friendships: The relationships that form while living with your peers are truly special and authentic. There is something about being on your own that makes the whole adventure with new friends even better. The fact that we are all going through something so foreign and new together makes for an awesome experience. Here at HC there almost seems to be a mentality of “we’re all in this together” (to quote High School Musical); everyone is incredibly friendly and ready to help one another.
5. Being on My Own: This may be my favorite part of college all together. I love being able to really focus on whom I am and what I really want to do. Here, for the next 4 years, I get to put a magnifying glass to my life as I try to figure out what I want to do with the rest of it. This really excites me! Thus far, college has proven to be the perfect state of limbo between adolescence and real adulthood, because let’s be frank, I’m not really on my own yet.

I hope that this was helpful in some way! Have an awesome week everybody!

Hey everyone! Sorry it’s been awhile-I’ve been home for the past week for fall break (a luxury that a lot of other schools do not have, at least not for the whole week!). It has been great to spend some time with family and friends, mainly to catch up on everything that has happened over the past couple of months. I cannot believe how much change has been thrown at me since leaving for Worcester on August 23^rd! It’s been overwhelming at times, but nonetheless exciting and incredibly positive. I can’t wait to continue with my first semester here at HC.

Right now, I’m so excited for the holidays to begin. It has started to get chillier here on the hill, which is contributing to my fall/winter holiday anticipation. My birthday is on October 30^th, so in my head that’s always been the start of the holiday season, followed by Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then finally my favorite day of the year, Christmas! It’s hard to believe that I’ll be home for Thanksgiving in just 5 weeks-I know that the time will go so quickly here.

This coming weekend is parents weekend, which should be fun! I know that my parents can’t wait to come watch the football game and spend some time with me at school. I think we might even go to Boston for dinner on Saturday night. It should be an eventful few days!

Hope all is well, have a wonderful week everyone!

Fall break is right around the corner and you can feel it in the air here at Holy Cross. Everyone is anxious to finish their assignments and head home for some much needed rest and relaxation. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone by here! The weeks have successively gotten faster and faster. This coming week should be challenging as I have a paper to finish and two midterms to take, however I know that it will all be worth it when I am finally able to see my family and friends back in New York. I can’t wait to see my dogs and sleep in my dearly missed queen-sized bed!

It’s homecoming weekend here and everyone is filled with HC pride. The amount of purple seen on campus is somehow even more than normal. It’s fantastic to see everyone so proud to be at Holy Cross! Last night there was a pep rally and today the football game against Harvard, where HC was sadly defeated after going into triple overtime.

On Wednesday this week, I finally got to go to my SPUD (Student Programs for Urban Development) site, the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester. I got to help some kids with their homework and talk about how their days went. It was an awesome feeling leaving there, knowing that I had done something to better the Worcester community. It should be a really rewarding experience working there weekly for the remainder of the school year.

That’s about it for me here on Mount Saint James. Hope that those high school seniors out there aren’t stressing out too much about the college application process. Happy fall everyone, and talk to you soon!

Hey everyone! My name is Jonathan Thompson from New York and I am so excited to be blogging for you all this year! It has been a hectic first month here on the hill as we first year students get fully settled into our new lives, but I must say that all is well. Those first-month jitters are finally gone and I’m feeling more and more at home here every day.

My classes for the fall semester are fantastic. My Montserrat is all about “acting natural”. We have been reading a lot of Thoreau and Aristotle (who is at times a bit over my head), which have been very interesting to ponder and discuss both inside and outside of the classroom. I am also taking Sociology 101, which has been quite a treat as this is an area of study that I have yet to truly dive into. My favorite classes this semester though would have to be French 102 and CRAW Fiction, as these are the areas that I plan to major and minor in. English has always been my strongest and most enjoyed subject, and I can already see myself making new strides in French!

I’ve also gotten involved in some different clubs and organizations on campus. I just got back from work at Kimball (the dining hall) tonight, which has been a great experience thus far. It’s been awesome to be able to make a little bit of money while here at school. I’m also in SPUD (Student Programs for Urban Development) where I will be helping out at the Worcester Boys and Girls Club every Friday. And finally, just the other night I went to the first meeting of The Agency, which is a marketing club that meets weekly here on campus. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on how these go throughout the year!

I’m so thrilled to be able to share my life here with you and hope that you will follow me as I navigate through my first year at HC! It’s an exciting time and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds over the next four years.