Lauren McDonough '14

It’s been a while since I’ve written, but I’m back into the swing of things at home!   I spent a lot of my time when I got out of school looking for a used car for my sister and I to drive to work –  a difficult task but certainly not harder than any of my schoolwork!  We got a great deal on a Volvo, so there is happiness and harmony in my house now that my sister and I can drive.  It’s been really weird being away from school, but I’m keeping in touch with my friends and have been on a few outings with them already.  I’m planning a weekend trip to Western Mass to visit my roommate Julia with our friend Lauren.  It’ll be great to reconnect and do some shopping for our room next year, we’re on the hunt for an oriental rug to make our living room cozy.

This week I started the annual training week for my job as a lifeguard at a day camp.  I was surprised how easy it was to pick up right  where I left off last summer – it feels like I never left!  The first day of training I wore my green shamrock Holy Cross t-shirt.  I’m the only one at work who goes to HC but plenty of people asked me if I knew their friends, most of whom I did.  I know I’ve said this before, but it always amazes me how so many people are connected to Holy Cross even though it’s such a small school.

So, for the next eight weeks, my life will largely consist of teaching swimming lessons, lifeguarding, and enjoying the company of my friends at camp.  I’ll have to bring my whistle and swimsuit to school, too, because I got a job lifeguarding at the Hart Center this fall!  Overall, life is good.  I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer, and to being back at HC.  Summertime and the living is easy.

I had a great Easter break at home with my family and came back to HC with plenty to do!  A couple updates from my last blog – I was excited to be accepted into Purple Key Society and attended my first meeting on Sunday night; you can look for me in a purple polo at events next semester!  I also presented my argument on how misogyny is harmful to hip hop as a genre and as a culture in my Montserrat fishbowl presentation last Thursday and was very pleased with how it went.  I had a calculus exam yesterday and am now preparing for my final psychology exam on Friday in class.  I only have one exam during finals week – calculus – so I plan on going home and studying since I have a whole week between the end of classes and my exam.

I’m all set for my first semester as a sophomore as I finally completed my schedule with open enrollment last night.  During rising sophomore enrollment, I only got two of the classes I wanted, so I e-mailed the other two professors and got permission to take the courses!  My schedule for next year is Renaissance Literature, Phenomenology (a really interesting movement in philosophy), New Testament (which I’m looking forward to since I’ve never taken a formal religion course before), and Intro to French.  I took Spanish classes from middle school through high school, so I decided to try a new language – it’ll definitely be useful if I study abroad in Europe junior year!  Housing selection for sophomores is happening today and tomorrow, but luckily I don’t need to stress; as I mentioned last blog I’m rooming with my RA friend in Hanselman! I know a lot of people who are stressed about getting a prime location on Easy Street next year though.  Thankfully, housing options only improve as we get older with two options for apartment housing for seniors.

Spring weekend is approaching so we all have our fingers crossed for nice weather!  There are lots of events planned as well as the concert on Monday after the last day of classes, so it’s definitely something to look forward to.  I’ll update again after exams!  I hope everyone has a great Cinco de Mayo tomorrow!

In the end-of-semester rush, things are falling into place quite nicely!  I have lots to do, but lots to look forward to as well!  Coming up academically, I volunteered to be a speaker in a fishbowl discussion for my Montserrat class called “Hip-Hop: The Final Word”.  As a speaker, I need to prepare a five minute speech that presents a controversial issue in hip-hop music and poses questions that will provoke a discussion with my classmates on the outside of the fishbowl.  I haven’t decided what to speak about yet, but I definitely want to choose a topic involving women, as they seem to be at the forefront of much of the controversy and criticism surrounding hip-hop music and culture.  Finals week is approaching quickly as well, so there’s plenty to keep me busy!

Today I had my interview for admission to the Purple Key Society, which is the organization on campus that runs events such as Accepted Students Day, Blood Drives, Purple Pride Day, and the Co-Curricular Extravaganza.  I’m really excited about the possibility of joining, because I think it will be a great chance for me to interact with more students on campus and potential students as well!  I’ll be working at Accepted Students Day this Sunday so be sure to come if you’ve been accepted!

In other news, I took the shuttle that HC runs every other weekend to the Natick Mall on Sunday with my friend Julia to meet my mom for lunch and shopping.  It was great to see my mom – we had a nice lunch at P.F. Chang’s and enjoyed shopping afterwards.  I was also excited for my mom to meet Julia because we’re rooming together next year!  Julia got a job as an RA on the fourth floor of Hanselman Hall, so we get a big room with our own bathroom and a great view of campus!

One of the perks of attending a Jesuit school is the break we get for the Easter holiday;  I’ll be home from next Wednesday until Monday for Easter, and I can’t wait to see all my family!  Oddly enough, I’m only back at school for  two and half weeks after Easter, then it’s time to head home for the summer… It’s very bittersweet.  On the last day of classes, we have our spring concert which is J.Cole and Far East Movement this year.  Its a nice way to celebrate the end of classes and unwind before study period begins!

Check back in the next few weeks to hear how the end of my freshman year is turning out!  Have a great week!

Spring is officially here and there is plenty to do on the Hill!  Thursday was St. Patrick’s day and the Holy Cross campus was a sea of green – in Kimball especially – and Dropkick Murphys songs played from windows in every dorm on campus.  With the best weather we’ve had since before winter break, I think it’s safe to say that fun was had by all!

I’ve been waist-deep in work lately with three exams coming up next week, but with the right time-management skills (something that’s very important in college given all of the unscheduled time) I’ll be able to fit in all my studying along while still making time to relax and enjoy time with my friends.  We’ve already planned end-of-the-week activities like a trip to Panera at Blackstone Valley to motivate us to get work done!

As the weather warms up and schedules become hectic, I think that people are beginning to realize how little time we have left in the semester.  It’s strange to think about for so many reasons, the first of which is that it doesn’t seem like I’ve already been here for a semester and a half!  When summer break comes around, it’ll definitely be a change of pace to go from studying Orgo every night to teaching swimming lessons at a camp!  It’s also going to be weird not seeing my friends every day; we managed to survive winter break, but three whole months?  Thankfully there’s always Facebook (which I gave up for Lent) and Skype.  But with friends all around the country from Ohio to California to Florida, a summer vacation visit may be in order as well.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I’d like to do when I graduate.  I know I still have six and a half semesters, but judging by how quickly this year is going, it’s not a bad idea to start planning.  Quite honestly, though, I still have no idea.  I don’t know if I’d like to be a doctor, and English teacher, a writer, or something completely different.  I do know, however, that I should keep my options open.  My major and concentration are an odd combination, but they leave me feeling successful as the former satisfies my creative needs and the latter challenges me in new ways.

Quite an unorganized rant today, but thank you for bearing with me!  As April 1st approaches, I wish all you high school seniors the best of luck with your college news!  Keep in mind my mantra from last year as I experienced early acceptances, regular acceptances, rejection, and wait-lists: things work out the way they are supposed to.  It definitely doesn’t feel like it sometimes, but with patience and hard work, you’ll get where you want to be no matter where you start.

On that note, Happy Tuesday!

In the time since we’ve been back from break, we’ve had a healthy mix of New England weather ranging from 50 degrees and sunny to snowing in a matter of days.  All around campus, people are ready for the spring and the weather and excitement that come along with it.  We have spring break starting on March 4th, so I’ve been hoping that maybe the weather will take a hint and warm up after that!

Things have been pretty busy, as usual, up on the Hill; I joined the club swim team this semester which forces me to exercise a few times a week!  I’ve already had plenty of papers and exams which I’ve done well on, so the semester is off to a great start!  It’s very strange to think that the semester is already a third of the way through, though.  Spring semester definitely goes by more quickly than the fall – I think it’s a combination of the weather warming up and everyone’s schedules becoming busier.

I have a few things to get done before break, namely a book to read, an orgo exam to take, a calculus assignment to complete, and a psychology quiz, so the upcoming week should be packed as well.  I do find that time goes by faster when I have a lot to do, and that the quality of my work tends to be better when I have to stick to a schedule, so I guess I can’t complain about being busy!

On another note, my Montserrat class is planning a Hip-Hop festival for the college as part of our course.  I’m on the committee that finds and recruits talent, and I’m really excited to see who we can get to come!  I’ll definitely keep you all updated on how that works out!

Enjoy the sunshine today!

I’ve been back in action on the hill for a week and a half now, and things are in full swing.  I had my first real orgo lab this morning, and to my own surprise finished everything accurately and on time!  We haven’t began anything too difficult in orgo yet, but it seems to be off to a good start!  Psychology class is what I expected – lots of reading, but very interesting.  My professor is new this year but seems knowledgeable and enthusiastic.  We picked up where we left off last semester in calculus, so I’m pretty comfortable with that class as well.  I’m currently working on a paper for Montserrat about whether hip-hop causes violence, using Tricia Rose’s book The Hip Hop Wars and the 1991 film Boys n the Hood as my main references.  Part of the reason I enjoy my Montserrat course so much is that my professor makes our assignments (papers, readings, listening homework) relevant and interesting, and often asks us to incorporate our own opinions.

The snow storm on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week hit Holy Cross pretty hard, but the school officials usually don’t close the campus unless the circumstances are extreme.  Nonetheless, I received e-mails from my professors on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning canceling all of my Wednesday classes, so I ended up with a snow day!  I definitely paid for it this morning though when my class had to show up to our 8 am lab 20 minutes early to go over material.  I know that 7:40 isn’t the crack of dawn, most high school students like my brother are already in class, but it feels ridiculously early in college.

This weekend, a well-known YouTube star and Holy Cross alumnus is visiting the campus for a show.  Brian Gallivan, aka “Sassy Gay Friend” attained internet fame with his videos satirizing literary classics, and demonstrating how they would be different if a sassy gay friend was around to lend a hand.  Check out my favorite here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnvgq8STMGM.  (Once you watch it, you’ll understand the title of this blog!)  It’s really cool to see all the different kinds of people who are Holy Cross alumni or students; the summer before I came to school, I met alumni at the airport, restaurants, and all sorts of random places.  They were all quick to show their Crusader pride and emphasized how much they enjoyed their four years on the hill.

I’m off to orgo lecture soon, but I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on what’s new and interesting at Holy Cross!

Although the weather makes it seem as if spring is a long ways away, spring semester at Holy Cross begins on Tuesday.  I’m heading back to the hill tomorrow after five relaxing weeks at home!  I wasn’t super busy over break, but I had plenty of time to recharge and spend time with my friends and family.  Now I’m ready to jump right into second semester!

I’m really excited to begin my psychology class – it’s something I’ve always been interested in but didn’t have the time to take in high school.  Calculus should be a lot like last semester, as I have the same professor and its a continuation of the material from the fall.  As I mentioned before, my Montserrat is focusing on hip-hop music and culture this semester – should be very interesting!  My fourth course is organic chemistry.  It’s the only class I’m a little worried about but with a good professor and the right attitude, all should go well!

I’ll update again once classes begin; remember to stay warm this weekend if you live in New England!

I’ve been on break for over two weeks now, and although I love being home, I still miss Holy Cross!  Finals week went well at school – it was a bit stressful as I expected, but it did help to make my time at home feel all the more relaxing.  I had a great Christmas with my family and rang in the new year last night with some friends.  Over the break, everyone in the Self cluster is reading a book suggested by my Montserrat professor called “The Hip-Hop Wars” by Tricia Rose; from what I’ve heard it should be really interesting, especially because my Montserrat is focusing on hip-hop music next semester!  Things at home are a lot less busy then they are at school, so I don’t have much to say, but I hope that everyone has a happy and healthy 2011!

One week left at school for the semester – I don’t know if I’m ready to leave!  Classes ended on Friday, and now we’re in a study period until final exams begin on Tuesday.  I have tests on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday morning, then I’ll head back to Norwood.  I’m definitely going to have some HoCro-withdrawals while at home.  This school has really become my home away from home and I’ll miss everything from my friends to Hanselman to Kimball (but definitely not all of the stairs).

Holy Cross is in full swing for Christmas with the creche up in front of the library, wreaths and Christmas trees up around campus, and the first official snowfall Friday night.  Hanselman basement was decorated like Whoville from”The Grinch” for a few days, and my hallway is full of Christmas lights, garlands, and stockings!  Father McFarland is leading an Advent-Holiday mass tonight and I’m going with some of my friends.  After, I’ll try to finish my paper for Montserrat, then there’s midnight breakfast at Kimball!

I have plenty to do this week to wrap up my first semester at Holy Cross, and I’m sure it will go by quickly!  If I don’t post before then, have a wonderful Christmas!

My Thanksgiving break was great, albeit short, but in three weeks I’ll be back home for winter break!  I have lots to keep me busy during the last few weeks of the semester – final papers and assignments in every class, then actual final exams the week of the 13th.  Even with the end-of-semester workload, I’ve managed to keep my priorities straight and decorate my room for Christmas with a mini tree, candy canes, and garlands.

Winter break will be a great time to see all of my family and friends who I saw only briefly over Thanksgiving.  It’ll feel very strange not to have papers to write and exams to study for, so I’ll be looking for things to keep me busy!  I know I mention this almost every post, but I can’t get over how quickly this semester has gone by.  If college is anything like high school, I can imagine that my remaining semesters will pass even faster.

With one eighth of my college career almost behind me, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about future plans and possible careers. I’ve come to the conclusion, however, that there’s no need for me to worry about those things yet.  As my mom says, I’ve already opened a lot of doors for myself by taking both English and Pre-Med courses, and I plan to continue providing myself with more options and opportunities by taking classes like Psychology.  For now, I’ll continue to study what interests me, and let life take me where it may.  On that note, I’ll get back to work!