Hi everyone — I hope you all are staying safe and well in this new and unusual semester. This semester is not what anyone planned, and is certainly not how I pictured my senior year. However, I am still determined to make the most of my second-to-last academic semester here at the College and do so safely!
This semester, I am fortunate to live on campus to research a history thesis on the extent to which American music impacted the reception of female radio Axis propagandists broadcasting to Allied GIs during World War II. I am also taking a seminar on the Gilded Age, a course in the early history of the Ottoman Empire, and an interesting music seminar called “Music, Performance, Community.”
Virtual classes are very different than the typical in-person Holy Cross class, especially seminars. However, it does come with a few perks. For my music seminar, for example, I am working with my colleagues from my D.C. semester at the Kennedy Center to bring a speaker to our class to talk about their work as an arts administrator and the relationship between performing arts institutions and the communities they serve. It is unlikely that such a collaboration would have been able to take place in person — but on Zoom, many professionals have time they are willing to spend with students presenting on their work!
This semester is not what any of us pictured, but I would like to acknowledge the tireless work of faculty, staff, and administrators at the College for trying to make the best of an unpredictable situation. These members of our community always shine, but especially during times of trial, they remind us of the Holy Cross spirit and being people for and with others.
