Savoring Every Moment

The end of October has been a rather stressful but altogether wonderful time! The academic workload is really getting intense as more papers and tests have rolled around but my professors are definitely stepping up to the challenge of keeping us engaged. In my Victorian Novel class we just finished Bleak House by Charles Dickens, a 1,000 page novel with over 25 characters. We spent approximately the ENTIRE month of October on that book and to keep us engaged, Professor Coriale instituted “Bleak House Fridays” where we would discuss the book for 30 minutes then partake in doughnuts and movie watching (of the Bleak House mini-series of course) for the other 20 minutes. I am actually starting to miss those “Bleak House Fridays”, though not the 1000 page novel I must admit!

I also had a “Learning Opportunity” (it took me a good week to realize that meant “exam”) in my Age of Jackson course with Fr. Kuzniewski.  He held a study session the night before but the best part was definitely the email we got prior to the session…

Fellow Jacksonians,
           With Halloween near, you may be worried
           As you study hard with schedules hurried,
           That the mid-term's content will be quite scary,
           Loaded with traps and questions most hairy.
           No need to worry, tonight we'll review
          All you remember, whatever seems new.
          At eight in the evening, O'Kane 365
          Feel welcome to be there, bright and alive.

So when I say that the professors are one of my favorite parts of this school to the students and parents I am giving tours to or interviewing, hopefully now you can see why!

Halloween also made the end of this month fun. Last Monday the CAB Co-Chairs all went to Ben’s house (he is CAB’s advisor) to carve pumpkins and eat his delicious apple pie, apple crisp, apple dip and apples. I definitely ate my weight in apples that night but Jimmy and I carved a fantastic pumpkin…well, I drew the face and cut the pieces out while he dealt with all the icky goop inside. I attached a picture of course!

The actual night of Halloween fell on a Friday and was a lot of fun! I feel that by senior year, most of us understand the importance of a costume. Freshmen year we were still unsure about how “cool” we needed to be but by the time senior year rolled along, everyone was ready to go all out. I found a $7 yellow dress at the costume sale so I decided to go as Belle, my favorite Disney princess because SHE READS! Over the course of the night I met a hot dog, Priscilla Presley, Candy Corn, five or six Jokers, the Spice Girls (literally, there was Oregano, Paprika, Chili Powder…), Jesus and the number nine. I have attached some pictures but they really don’t do the night justice, it was a great time!

I think I am going to call this entry the “I can’t believe” entry and I think it will be fairly obvious as to why.

I can’t believe how wonderful fall in New England is. Yes, I have lived here my entire life, but the early weeks of October and especially Columbus Day Break were just spectacular. The foliage is at its peak here at Holy Cross and the sound of crunchy leaves makes me smile on the way to class. The nice weather made Columbus Day Break perfect; I went apple picking with my family, took a walk in the woods with my Dad and played Manhunt with my cousins using only the light of the moon. This past weekend I went to the Head of the Charles in Boston with Lexie and soaked up more of the great weather while watching the regatta. I am posting pictures of the regatta and nature in general, just to give you a peek into how nice it is.

That being said, I can’t believe there are rumors that it will snow tomorrow. Highly doubtful in my opinion.

I can’t believe I went to my last OppKnocks Dance ever, after four years of dressing up and dancing the night away, I can’t believe its over. For those of you that don’t know the Opportunity Knocks Dance (or OppKnocks) is the biggest semi-formal dance of the year and it is sponsored by the CAB Social committee (headed by Silvia and Caitlin this year). They did a fantastic job pulling together the night and the decorations, playing off the theme of “A Night in New York City”, were a huge hit. I posted a bunch of pictures from the night so everyone could see!

I can’t believe how many fond memories I have from Luxembourg, we had a reunion dinner tonight in Kimball and it was great to catch up with everyone and swap stories that I had forgotten.

I can’t believe I have been a Senior Interviewer for two months, time is flying by! I have met so many interesting students so far and have become so grateful I am not on the selection committee…Holy Cross is truly blessed to have such talented and unique applicants and I could never choose between them! I met with my mentor Amanda (one of the admissions counselors, you can find her on the Admissions blog) along with Ani (another blogger) to talk about our progress. It is so nice to have that support system in place and swapping stories, interesting questions and advice is definitely helpful. Also helpful is the fact that we get free breakfast (thanks Admissions)!

I can’t believe how many opportunities this school presents me. Just this past week I attended a CABA (College Advisory Board on Alcohol) meeting on behalf of CAB which was interesting and informative; I learned a lot and gave some comments on how CAB’s role as a programming board gives alternatives to drinking and how we can work together on various initiatives. I also went to the Post Graduate Volunteer Fair where I learned about various programs that definitely seem like options for after graduation (I squirmed in my seat when I just wrote that….is it absolutely essential that I graduate in 2009?).

Finally, I can’t believe how much I have to look forward to in the next few weeks. My Mom is coming on Saturday for my roommate’s Chamber Orchestra concert and for the Family Weekend Mass so that should be great. Halloween is coming up and I got a costume for $7 at the Theater Departments annual costume sale (you’ll have to wait to see what it is though!). Amy, Lexie, Meg, Sasha and I are seeing High School Musical 3 in theaters (please try to withhold judgment, I love embracing my inner child) and Senior Ball is on the horizon. The National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Conference is also coming up and I will be presenting with Jimmy and Ben, hopefully putting the skills I have learned in Rhetoric to good use. Senior year is certainly shaping up to be unbelievable!

I feel like the beginning of this year has been one giant puzzle and all the pieces are slowly falling into place. I sat down last week and planned out literally every hour of the last few days and it really helped me to know exactly where I was supposed and what I had to be doing. It also helps that I am feeling more confident in the commitments I am doing, whether it be learning how to use Excel for CAB or practicing a firm handshake for interviewing.

Speaking of interviewing, it has finally started! After doing two shadow interviews and meeting with my mentor in admissions Amanda (you can check out their blog) I got to “go solo” for the first time on Wednesday and then again on Thursday. I can honestly say I was surprised just how much I enjoyed it! I’ll admit, I was probably much more nervous than the first girl I interviewed but by the end everything seemed to run smoothly. I already can’t wait for next Tuesday when I get to do it again!

Along with interviewing there have been some fun events here at Holy Cross, one of which was on Friday when CAB brought a HUGE outdoor movie screen to show Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on the Hart Lawn. It was a chilly night but lots of students grabbed blankets, pillows, Kimball trays and even an air mattress and made the trek up the hill for free popcorn and a great movie. I added some pictures of the set up, including a humorous one of some CABbies standing by the 125 foot screen with an interesting movie playing!

After Friday I went home for the first time this semester for my grandmother’s 72nd birthday and had a great time with the masses of relative who assembled; I added a picture from Christmas to give you some idea! It was great to be home and with Columbus Day weekend coming soon I am looking forward to relaxing from the hectic schedule I have made for myself. Only Apple Picking, Cranium nights, 1000 pages of Bleak House by Charles Dickens and a celebratory speech about a yet-to-be-determined subject stand between me and home! It should be an exciting few weeks!

The whirlwind of activity has yet to die down here on Mount Saint James, it’s difficult to snatch even an hour of free time! The first weekend of school was a fun and successful one. I helped move first years into Hanselman and the best part of the day was carrying a huge suitcase into my freshman year room (Hanselman 213, the vault, in case you were wondering). My misty eyes and words of adoration seemed to terrify the girl I helped move in but hopefully her year will be as good as mine was! Freshman First Night was also a success, I learned how to make smoothies, how NOT to slide down a giant inflatable slide and how to warn someone before dropping an entire barrel of ice…all great life skills I am sure. The Mass of the Holy Spirit, one of my favorite Holy Cross traditions, was held indoors for the first time in my four years here but that made it even more powerful in my opinion. Colleen mentioned it in her blog and though it was EXTREMELY hot in there, I was deeply moved by the parent’s blessing and memories of my own first day at Holy Cross came back. Since this entry has been a little too nostalgic, I’ll work my way back to the present.

Some highlights of the first week of school and classes include giving a tour to new faculty (with fellow blogger Colleen Curran of course) and starting work again in the Religious Studies office. I also cooked for the first time in my apartment and though my mom warned me not to burn anything, I made it through grilled cheese and mac and cheese just fine! I’m taking baby steps, I plan on being a 5 star chef by the end of the year! We also had a very successful CAB retreat and the first few CAB events have been definite successes. Interviewing begins next week and I can’t wait, I have already done some observations and I can’t wait to meet potential Holy Crossers…I have definitely been missing the interaction because my first tour of the year was empty (which was probably a good thing because there was a flash flood warning and thunder, but it would have been an adventure!)

Classes have started as well and I think I am in for a lot of work, a lot of learning and a VERY interesting semester. I am taking two English classes and two History classes for the third time in my college career but I wouldn’t have it any other way. For my English classes I am taking 19th Century Novel, which starts with Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice…you can’t get much better! I am also taking Rhetoric with my advisor Professor Bizzell, a class I have wanted to take for three years. For my History classes I am taking Imperial Russia and The Age of Jackson, opposite ends of the spectrum to be sure but both seem very interesting.

The year is off to a great start and it seems to keep getting better! Instead of pictures I thought I would send along the link to the move-in day video, I didn’t make the cut but lots of CABies did!

http://www.holycross.edu/publicaffairs/features/2008-2009/class_of_2012

There is no denying it now, I am definitely a Senior! I moved into my apartment Thursday and am still working at unpacking before my other three roommates arrive. It’s been great walking around campus and seeing all my friends, many of whom I have not seen in over a year because they were abroad!

The next few days will actually be devoted to Freshmen, hopefully it will take my mind off being a Senior! On Friday I am going to the Leadership Luncheon and meeting with the CAB E-board to discuss ideas for next year, our fall retreat and the upcoming concert on September 1st with Pete Francis, the drummer from the band Dispatch. Saturday is what I like to call my "7 AM to 2 AM marathon". I have to get up bright and early to help move Freshmen in. For any incoming Freshmen reading this, get ready for a fun day because you can all sit back and relax while we carry your stuff in! I still remembering pulling up to Hanselman and having students and a few professors swarm my car… my things were carried in before I even had a chance to touch them! It seems fitting that I will be stationed at Hanselman this year, it seems like I have come full circle in a way. Feel free to say "Hello!"…unless I am buried under a futon, TV, shoe rack or desk chair in which case I may not be able to reply!

After moving people in I am running over to the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first mass on campus for Freshman, their families and the Holy Cross community. It’s a beautiful mass, a fair number of tears are shed by parents and students alike, and I always love Greeting at it. Hopefully the rain holds off so it can be outside!

After mass is a CAB dinner then our first event of the year, Freshman First Night! The Special Committee always puts on the event, complete with inflatable obstacle courses, dancing, cotton candy and a Hawaiian themed cake! It’s always a fun event and us CABbies will be there until the wee hours of the morning making sure it goes perfectly.

The next couple of days will certainly be hectic, but as more and more friends arrive I am sure I will be able to cope with anything!

I figured since I just returned from my wonderful “vacation from vacation” in Disneyworld, I should probably start updating again, especially now that preparations for school are underway!

This summer has been a work-filled yet restive one. May Term was such a fast paced and exciting experience that it felt great to get into a regular routine and relax a little bit. I have been working at the library almost everyday this summer and it has been such a joy. I have started incorporating skills I learned at Holy Cross, especially in CAB, to my job and was able to help coordinate an event for a popular book release as well as talk about my travels with the patrons that saw my postcards on the wall. I really could not ask for a better job or better co-workers, it is fun to go to a job every day where you can read picture books aloud on a whim, have stamps of Curious George all over your hands, and become skilled at answering the question “My child loved Harry Potter…what do I do now?” (you wouldn’t believe how often I get that one!) I attached some pictures of the Forbes Library Children’s room to give you an idea of where I spent the majority of my summer (the big fish is named Paco, he is the mascot of the children’s room!)

I had other fun little events this summer as well. I was able to make it out to Providence to visit with fellow blogger Amy Mullen and my friend Lexie, both of whom studied abroad. I thought it might be strange, especially because I had not seen Amy since September when she visited me but it was amazing how quickly everything came back to normal…friendship transcends oceans obviously! Amy, Jen and Abby, all of whom studied in Spain last year also made it out to Northampton for the sidewalks sales and it was great to show them around even if we were interrupted by one of a the many thunderstorms we have had this summer. Disneyworld was another great part of my summer; I had not been since I was in 8th grade and believe it or not I enjoyed it even more this time! As my mom said, “It was as magical as when you were younger, only now you have stamina!” This was certainly true and I had a great time reliving my childhood with my family.

With less 3 days left before I go back to school on the 28th in preparation for Freshman move in day, First Night, and the Mass of the Holy Spirit, I am having a hard time believing this summer is almost over and an even harder time believing I am truly a senior! Excitement is the overriding emotion however and after long email exchanges and phone conversations with my roommates, I think we have the apartment planned out and I can’t wait to get back to school!

–

I am very happy to say that I added pictures to all of my previous entries so make sure to check back and see the visuals I tried to feebly describe throughout my stay in Europe! I did take, much to my parent’s shock, 900 pictures but I am working on narrowing them down to ones that I definitely want to print, it is nice to know though that I will have A LOT of pictures to remember my trip by.

This past week I spent a lot of time working at the library again and reconnecting with old friends in Northampton. One of my friends leaves for France next week and another just returned from South Africa. It is incredible the experiences you are given while in college, both to see the world and to learn about yourself at school. Speaking of people coming and going, I am ecstatic to report that one of my best friends (and fellow blogger) Amy Mullen returned safely to the US on Wednesday and (even more exciting) I will be visiting her on Sunday! It is great to have people home and senior year is looking better and better!

How do you come to terms with the experience of a lifetime coming to an end? With great difficulty, let me assure you! The flight home last Saturday evening was difficult, the in flight entertainment did not work and halfway through we hit a patch of turbulence that scared me so much that the stranger sitting next to me told me to breathe (it helped!)…I really hate flying!

Now that it has been a couple of weeks since I was in Luxembourg, I have had time to reflect on my experience abroad and honestly I can’t find one bad thing to say about it. Going into Junior year was rather difficult because most of my friends had chosen to Study Abroad for the entire year. I was tempted to as well, and Holy Cross has a great program, but I knew that a whole year was not for me. I don’t regret my decision at all; I was able to take my favorite classes of my college career so far, gain leadership experience and have a great time through CAB, and I made a bunch of new friends while still keeping in touch with my friends abroad. The Luxembourg Program rounded out this experience in that it gave me the opportunity to study abroad, even though it was just for a month. I went to 5 different countries, traveled by air, water and land, took 900 (no exaggeration) pictures and got to study History in a totally new and unique atmosphere. The smile that was plastered on my face throughout the trip has definitely not gone away and I am so grateful to my parents, for letting me go on the trip, Uwe the director of the program, for being so organized and thoughtful, Professor Green for teaching us at a level I have never experienced before and to everyone who made the trip a total success!

That being said, I will add a bunch of pictures to my previous entries that coincide with the day trips, weekend trips, and general fun I had abroad. This entry has a bunch of pictures of Mondorf, including our rooms and classrooms as well as the town itself. I hope you enjoy them!

This week has been a great one, I am totally back into the swing of things on this side of the Atlantic! I worked everyday at the library which has been such a joy, I loved sharing the pictures with my boss Jude and co-workers Stephanie and Emily and was thrilled with my surprise birthday party that they threw me! I also got to hang out with my friends from home, unfortunately my friend Anthony left for Rome just as I got back so there was a shortened reunion with him. I can’t wait for the rest of my summer to really get started, Europe is hard to beat though!

These past couple of days have absolutely flown by and I am amazed that I am going to be on a plane headed home TOMORROW.

Yesterday I went with Professor Green and the rest of the History class to Strasbourg in France. On the way we visited the Convent of St.Odile which was in the Vosges Mountains. There was an impressive view of the surrounding towns and you could even see the Black Forest in the distance in Germany! We made a few stops in the wine villages of the Alsace region; Professor Green let us walk around and take in the sights. We had been learning a lot about the region in terms of the tension between the French and the Germans preceding the World Wars and it was interesting that even though the street signs were in French, the region was decidedly German.

Strasbourg, with its canals and huge Cathedral, was great as well. We went into the Cathedral and took a canal tour through the city. It was supposed to rain all day but we didn`t see a single drop! We had dinner at a VERY authentic French restaurant called "Pasta and Pizza" then made our way back to Mondorf. It was our last and, in my opinion, best field trip.

Today was our last full day and after a review session for the History class we all got "pretty" as Uwe says and took multiple group and class pictures. After that we went to the best restaurant in Luxembourg (no sarcasm here, it`s literally the best-5 star and everything!) run by Lea Linster, an award winning chef. We had a gourmet meal, complete with multiple courses and never ending drinks. It was fantastic but I am in a "food coma," I ate far too much! It was worth it though!

I want to say a quick congratulations to all the Seniors who graduated in the past week from Holy Cross. I will miss you all so much and the school won`t be the same without you! The even scarier thought is that that will be ME next year!

My next entry will be from home-I can`t believe it!

About 5 years ago my family and I took a European trip to France, Germany, Switzerland and Iceland and Paris was by far my favorite part. I remember sitting on the train leaving Paris and thinking "I hope I can go back there someday". Well, I MADE IT!

As I watched the sun set on my 20th year (I am an English major, you will have to deal with the poetics), I had NO idea what would be in store for me in the hours to come. At midnight, I answered a knock on my door only to find Kara and Kristen singing "Happy Birthday" and bringing me a great card. I have never been around Holy Cross friends for my birthday and I have to say…they sure know how to celebrate! The next morning I opened my door to find gifts from friends as well as a box of chocolates from the director of the program Uwe, he takes such good care of us and is so thoughtful! The birthday wishes kept coming, but it was definitely eclipsed by the fact that we would be in Paris that afternoon!

The high speed train to Paris was great, we arrived at 3:30 and got to our hostel by 4. That left plenty of time to go to Sacre Coeur and see our first view of the Eiffel tower from on top of the hill in the Montmartre district. After that, we grabbed a quick dinner then made our way to the Louvre (which is free on Fridays for people under 26). I met my friend from home Laura there and it was great to catch up while seeing the best artwork in the world. After the Louvre we went towards Notre Dame and met up with Jimmy Doan who was also celebrating his birthday on May 30th. We had been planning to meet in Paris for months and our dream was finally realized! It was probably the best birthday of my life and it only got better as the weekend continued.

The next day was insanely busy, I am still reeling from the fact that we were able to see the Eiffel tower (everyone took the stairs, VERY IMPRESSIVE but not for me, my fear of heights prevented me from doing that one), the Arc de Triomphe (which I did climb), the Champs Elysees, and the district in between. We also took a boat cruise along the Seine river, luckily the weather was great! That night, we went out for our birthday dinner at a relatively fancy (we are, after all, poor college students) restaurant then made our way to the Eiffel Tower. We sat on the lawn and watched the lights come on, every hour there is a fantastic light show where the tower literally sparkles. We took lots of pictures and I cannot wait to upload them when I get home so that everyone can see them!

Sunday was our last day. We went to Notre Dame then walked to the Pantheon and along the bank of the Seine where artists and book sellers were setting up their booths. I bought a print and posters that I fell in love with, then made my way back to Sacre Coeur to buy more souvenirs and show Jimmy the area because he had not seen it the night before. We caught the train back to Luxembourg with no problems and managed to make our way back home before collapsing into bed.

Paris was one of the most tiring weekend of my life, but also one of the best. I couldn`t ask for better people to spend time with and it was great that I was able to meet up with Laura and Jimmy. This time as the train pulled out of Paris I wasn`t thinking IF I would go back, but WHEN. I can`t keep away from that city and the memories from this program and especially that trip will stick with me for a long time.