Walking around campus these last few weeks, there is a clear feeling that the Holy Cross community is back. After a year and a half of dispersion, isolation, and change, all class years are back on campus for the first time since March 2020. The familiar sights and feelings of the campus community have brought a sense of normalcy and peace on Mount St. James. Chatting with classmates before in-person classes, making plans with friends to meet at Cool Beans, and seeing the typical weekday line to get into Kimball during the lunch rush has brought a sense of campus unity back to the Hill.
This fall offers the opportunity for reunion, one that I am very excited for as I begin my final year at Holy Cross (a sentence I cannot believe that I am writing – time flies!). Being back together in the classrooms and seeing extracurriculars start up again are an exciting prospect for this semester. In the early days of the pandemic, I sincerely missed the feeling of being busy on campus and filling my time with different on-campus activities. The ability to gather face-to-face after all this time and getting to recruit underclassmen to join different organizations has been an exciting part of returning to campus this year.
This fall, I am looking forward to exploring Worcester more. Due to the pandemic, in an attempt to limit exposure, I have missed the chance to explore the different sites the city has to offer. Most recently, I attended my first Worcester Red Sox game and got to explore Polar Park. Seeing the different local Worcester vendors and the greater city community together at the park was an exciting way to get back into the city after so much time away. Gathering with other Holy Cross students and seeing other Worcester students at the game as well was a great way to reconnect with the city and see the beginning of a return to normalcy as we move through the pandemic.
I am also looking forward to revisiting old connections I have made with the city of Worcester. This year, I will be serving as one of the Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD) Interns. As part of my role, I will work with other members of SPUD to help facilitate the organization’s transition back into in-person service for the first time since March 2020. Reaching out to and re-establishing connections we hold with the Worcester community has been an exciting way to immerse myself in Worcester once again. I cannot wait to return to working with my students in an in-person setting after so much time apart!
This fall offers a unique opportunity not only to immerse myself in the campus community, but the Worcester community as well. As my time at Holy Cross slowly draws to a close, I am most looking forward to using this fall as an opportunity to soak in every moment that makes me love this community. Getting to walk around campus every day, to get to smile and talk with various members of campus, is an opportunity I am so grateful for and one that I have missed greatly. I am looking forward to the smaller moments on campus above all. The feeling of excitement while tailgating for home football games, seeing the Fenwick ivy change colors at the beginning of the fall season, and soaking in some sun on the Hoval are all smaller moments that make this fall so exciting to me. This fall is a unique moment for Holy Cross, one that I am so excited to see what it has in store for the Hill.
~Michaela Lake ’22
