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Gateways Greatways

Hello everyone! It’s great to be back on the Hill. The year is off to an amazing start!!!


I began my second year at Holy Cross early this year. I was an orientation leader for the Class of 2026, and the experience was fun, tiresome, but very rewarding. We moved in about ten days early to undergo volunteer training that would prepare us for the welcoming of the incoming students. While the days were long, I made some of the best memories and friends. We hung out after orientation training, watched Mamma Mia, ate Chipotle, and bonded as a family. The highlight of my day during orientation was unpacking the day with all my friends after training ceased, and I will cherish the laughs we had as we made inside jokes, shared our experiences with our groups, and decompressed all the stressors we underwent. I will forever be blessed with my orientation leader friends, and I know we share a common commitment to make the Holy Cross community close-knit and inclusive. Around seventy upperclassmen took on the task of initiating nine-hundred new students to the first-year class, and we fulfilled the task to the best of our abilities.

I was a leader of the O’Kane Octopus group. I feel like these first-year students became a part  of the Holy Cross community early on. Whether we were singing as part of icebreakers or talking about their fears coming to Holy Cross, I bonded with them in a very special way, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity of being a source of familiarity and support for twenty-five first year students. While the school year quickly followed and classes picked up, I stay connected with my orientees, and I love seeing them at tailgates, in the stacks of the Science Library, or at Kimball. I hope they feel the sense of belonging as integral members of the Holy Cross family. 

 
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A New Member to the Holy Cross Community

We have a New Roomie on Campus!!!

Returning from winter break, classes underwent and the second semester was in full swing! It was nice to catch up with friends while submersing myself in new classes that brought new possibilities.

As my roommate and I have our nightly talks, we pondered what our room was missing during the first semester that we could change during the second semester. We both stumbled upon the same idea. We were missing a family.

So, we trekked over to Petco and picked out the cutest Betta fish in stock. We got him some gravel, a heater, food, and a Starbucks cup to fill his tank. We also got a plant and a fish hammock so our fish could have somewhere to sleep.

When we got home, we washed his gravel in the bathroom sink. Different floor mates then became invested, and we all couldn’t wait to welcome our fish into the Clark Hall family. When we set up his tank and his water temperature was suitable, we added him into the tank and decided to name him Bernard.

Bernard is the best fish that my roommate and I can ask for. He is so smart, and, every time we walk into the room, he swims up to the front of his tank to say hi to us. He is always there to comfort us if we have a bad day, and he brings us so much joy.

Most of all, I love that Bernard embodies a Holy Cross student. He fits right in to the larger Holy Cross community and family. He swims along hoping to find new adventures, as do Holy Cross students. He relaxes in his hammock when it’s time for a break and enjoys the view, as do Holy Cross students. He keeps on swimming even when his water is cold and his heater hasn’t turned on yet, as do Holy Cross students. Lastly, he takes advantage of his environment and enjoys every second of it, as do Holy Cross students.