Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying this season of Advent. Here on the Hill we’ve had two weeks of class and we’re now in finals period. But I also want to talk about the Concert Band concert, Lessons and Carols and the snow!
First up is the Concert Band concert, which we had on Dec. 3. It was a great first concert and I’m excited for second semester (highlights from next semester’s program include Give Us This Day by David Maslanka). Even Fr. Boroughs came!
The reason I delayed my usual alternating-Wednesdays blogging schedule is because I wanted to talk about Lessons and Carols, which took place this past Thursday. It is a tradition dating back to King’s College in the UK in 1918, and one Holy Cross adopted in 1978. There are nine Biblical readings and each is followed by a responsory song or anthem. As part of the Chamber Orchestra, I was able to participate musically, working with the Concert Choir and both student organists on campus. It was really neat to play in (full!) St. Joseph’s Chapel, where the acoustics are amazing. To make the evening extra special, Kimball Dining Hall had its annual Christmas dinner the same night! If you missed Lessons and Carols–don’t worry! The event was livestreamed and published on YouTube.
Click for a video of “O Come All Ye Faithful” my mom took at Lessons and Carols!
After a SUPER busy two weeks of classes (my busiest so far, which is saying a lot), Holy Cross is now officially in “finals mode.” Final exams take a week, and as soon as you are done you get to go home for Christmas break. Monday is a study day, where professors hold review sessions and Dinand Library is sure to be packed; the exams themselves take place between Tuesday and Saturday. In college, depending on the class, final exams can be a fairly big portion of your overall grade for a class, so students will do everything they can to make sure they do well! I only have three exams, since my Montserrat final was a paper followed by a presentation and defense in class, but I still have a lot of studying to do!
Also, if you thought Holy Cross was enthusiastic in general, you should see us at Christmas! Each dorm is decorated to the nines (my hyper-festive roommate wrapped our door in early November) and we just had our first snow last night. Friends are exchanging gifts, Elf is being streamed constantly during study breaks, the bookstore had its annual 20% off sale last week, and the Office of Student Involvement offered free gift wrapping for students–Christmas is definitely here!
Check back in soon to see if I survive final exams and prepare for Christmas! Happy studying!
Hi Beth
Excellent write up as usual. Very interesting. Enjoyed the video.
Good luck with your finals. Will be thinking of you. Thanks for the blog. 🎄
Hi Beth
Excellent write up as usual, very interesting. Enjoyed the video. Good luck with your finals. Will be thinking of you. Thanks for the blog.