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For Fools

When I was younger, I was kind of the class clown, always trying to get the class to laugh and doing my quirky thang. However, after I was hit with the classic: “yeah…so you’re no longer cool, so we aren’t friends anymore” bit right before high school, I stopped embracing my foolish side.

 

First Foolsapalooza

 

I came to Holy Cross super shy, super quiet, and super uncomfortable with the idea of making a fool of myself. I tried to be this picture perfect version of myself who made no mistakes and never tripped up the stairs.

One day during my first year here, I was idly painting a clay bowl at a weekend event (let’s bring this back, yes?) and having a very normal conversation with the people sitting at my table. A sophomore guy I had never met before was sitting across from me and he kind of tilted his head as I spoke.

So, naturally, I froze. And then I freaked. I had done all the right things! I had barely talked the entire time, had nodded appropriately, and even smiled when warranted. Why was he staring at me?!

“Do you sing? You sound like you can sing, like an Alicia Keys kind of vibe. You should audition for Fools On The Hill,” he said.

 

Second Foolsapalooza

 

I kind of blacked out from there, because the entire conversation was making me very anxious and I knew I was no Alicia Keys! However, I agreed to audition, thinking that he would forget and I would continue blending in on campus. A week later, though, I saw him in the cafeteria and he told me he couldn’t wait to see me at my audition time.

So, I auditioned. Then, I got in.

 

Third Foolsapalooza with these beautiful ladies who became beautiful friends

 

And I slowly remembered how FREEING it is to be FOOLISH. Fools On The Hill was filled with loving, hilarious, talented human beings who made me feel valued every day. We all shared foolish facts about ourselves, without judgement! We sang at the top of our lungs and voice cracks were welcomed! It was refreshing, cleansing even. I remembered that I didn’t have to be wholly put together all the time, that my faults came together to make me who I am.

Cliche? Maybe. But beautiful, nonetheless.

So thank you to this wonderful group, to each and every member over the past four years, for reminding me that it is not foolish to love yourself.

 

Fourth and Final Foolsapalooza

 

 

 

 

heart & soul

 

 

 

 

My niece and nephew said they enjoyed the show!

 

 

 

Made some of my closest friends in this group (Lauren Carey ’19)

 

 

 

Friends from home came for my last show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOOLS Alum also came back — Jackie (’17) was one of the first friends I made.

 

 

 

One of our flyers from my sophomore year

 

 

Will always reflect on our Christmas shows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The a cappella battle is one of my first and fondest memories at Holy Cross

 

 

 

Fools Family

 

 

 

 

Thank you.
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December and November Recap

So, the year flew by.

Everyone’s saying it. Everyone’s correct. 2017 was a whirlwind.

Semesters always fly by, but my first senior year semester flew first class, private jet plane fast. Like, whoosh.

November

I participated in my favorite theater festival I’ve ever been a part of. The Holy Cross Theater Department is absolutely brilliant. In 2017, I got more involved. And I loved it! I did the Greek Festival during my junior year (the same year I had the honor of being in the musical) and then this semester, I participated in the 5-10 Festival and the One Act Festival.

Our One Act piece was all about body image. Our cast was beautiful, empowering, and encouraging. Here we are below: Alyssa ’18, Adeline ’19, Tanusha ’18 (our director), me, and Eve ’18.

 

 

Senior Ball was a blast. My roommate and I love any reason to dress up and senior ball was no exception. It was just nice to see all your friends (and the people you had no idea were even in your grade) come together for a night and take in the year.

 

 

 


 

 

 

December

I actually don’t have much to say about this month, as finals season often erases my memory. However, I do know that my a cappella group this year has become super close and the holiday season was magical. We sang at my favorite event of the year (the Okane Tree Lighting) and had our Christmas Cool Beans performance.

 

 

 

Looking forward to 2018! Last Semester. Legally Blonde the Musical. My friend’s getting married. Graduation. Stay tuned!
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Foolsapalooza 2017

This is my third year being in “Fools on the Hill” and each year being in the group just gets better. We had our annual big campus event Foolsapalooza last Saturday and it was so beautiful. Our group selected some songs we did this semester and other groups (The Delilahs, Off the Record, and WPI’s Technichords) performed a collection of their songs as well. Every year, we also vote on a specific charity we want to send our donations to and this year I recommended a charity my sister and I began about five years ago. The charity raises money for the Cove Basic School in Clarendon, Jamaica. This was actually the elementary school my mother attended as a little girl and we have been in the process of rebuilding the two-room school. Each year we go down to Jamaica and bring them school supplies, Christmas gifts, games, and the funds to start renovation.

 

happy. friends. smiles. hugs. laughter. love.

 

 

me, my mother, and my older sister

 

It was amazing having my family come up to see me perform with the a cappella group that has helped me grow so much at Holy Cross. It was even more amazing having such lovely support from the Fools, who are so immensely talented and brilliant. Each year I feel that we grow closer and closer, though each year I do shed real tears when the seniors graduate. However, next year I’ll be one of those graduating…

That’s for another post.

 

 

a group picture we took at the end!

 

So, the blog take-away is: Holy Cross has some awesome organizations and some awesome people in those organizations. I can definitely find a group that I feel comfortable in if I come to Holy Cross, a group that both challenges and excites me. 
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Holidays on the Hill

Doors in wrapping paper, stockings lining the coffee shop counter, and the Kimball cafeteria filled with crafts, free cookies, and Santa?

Yes, it’s my favorite season on the Hill – the holiday season. I wrote a post about this last year, entitled “Miracle on College Street,” and if I was feeling the Christmas spirit last year, then I’m drowning in it this year. From literally decking our hallway in all things Winter to blasting Christmas music in October, I have been anticipating this time of year for a while now.

 

My fellow fool and friend Lauren and I before we sang at our Christmas a cappella show.
My fellow fool and friend Lauren and I before we sang at our Christmas a cappella show.

However, my roommate and I do love to joke that though it is the most wonderful time of the year, it’s also the most stressful time. Papers and projects are coming in hot. Finals are coming up soon. Winter is coming full force. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the work and even the change in weather.

Still, every year this time rolls around, I always find comfort in the sweet spirit on campus. Yes, one of my friends just pulled an all-nighter and yes, one of my other friends has two 20-page papers due in three days, but there is something about the holiday time and this hill that makes everything (even if momentarily) okay.

Sometimes it does feels as if there’s just too much to do and absolutely no time to finish it all. Then, when I catch up with friends over a Kimball Holiday dinner or I go sing carols with much of campus and the Worcester community at the Tree Lighting, I can find the silver linings. Or in this case, the silver bells.

 

 

 

My residents were truly feeling the Christmas spirit and got really creative with the board outside of the room.
My residents were truly feeling the Christmas spirit and got really creative with the board outside of their room.
Our a appella group, "Fools on the Hill," at our Christmas show.
Our a cappella group, “Fools on the Hill,” at our Christmas show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, the blog take-away is: Indeed, there is no place like home for the holidays and I will soon learn that Holy Cross will become a second home to me. Yes, I’ll have a lot to do, but I’ll have wonderful friends and a warm community to remind me how blessed I am. 
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Foolsapalooza

Hopefully you were so curious about that title that you’ve continued reading this blog post. If so, hello! This blog post will be about Holy Cross’ only co-ed a cappella group, Fools on the Hill. There we (most of us) are below!

 

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Fools Fam! 

Last week Friday, we had our biggest campus event Foolsapalooza. It’s our end of the year a cappella show, where Fools and other Holy Cross and off-campus a cappella groups perform as well! This year’s turnout was incredible and the energy in the room was just fantastic!

We advertised with some foolish facts about each member on our Facebook page! Might regret adding this photo later, but here is a little snippet of it!

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Some of the songs we sang were All These Things I’ve Done by the Killers, Water Under the Bridge by Adele, Sweater Weather  by the Neighbourhood, I See Fire by Ed Sheeran, and a really fun Queen Medley. As you can see, there’s no real common thread or certain genre — it’s just the love of all kinds of music that makes a cappella groups so fun.

Usual Holy Cross a cappella performances happen right in front of the Hogan cafe, Cool Beans, on different days during the week. However, this event was held in the Hogan Ballroom so that friends and family could attend as well.

Speaking of family, Foolsapalooza (coincidentally on April Fools Day) was my sister’s birthday, so she too attended the show and I got to sing my solo to her! Here we are after the show below:

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Yay, family.

If you love music and everything about it, you can join one of these groups! Many of the groups have YouTube channels, so I’ll post the names of the groups below so you can check out any videos. If a cappella isn’t an interest of yours, there are also many choir groups you can join as well! OR, you can do both!

A cappella groups:

Sons of Pitches

The Delilahs

Off the Record

Sound of St. James

And of course, Fools on the Hill.

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So much thanks to Colleen Paddock '16 for taking such lovely photos!

Thanks to Colleen Paddock ’16 for taking such lovely photos!

So, the blog take-away is: If I’m having a rough week at Holy Cross (which won’t necessarily be a normal occurrence), I can always go grab a coffee and head to any of the a cappella performances that week. AND if I love music, then I can join one of the many different music-based groups on campus! How exciting. 
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Week Update

Hello from the Hill!

Homework has increased once again and for some reason that usually means extracurricular activities increase simultaneously. My a cappella group, my Praise and Worship service team, and my RA Staff have all had events this past week. As a result, I did not blog last week.

I know — so not cool. However, I am back and excited to share last week with you.

1) Chateau de Wheeler. This event is a Wheeler (the oldest first-year dorm) tradition. All the residents venture out onto “Wheeler Beach” and enjoy an evening of fresh tunes, festivities, fun, and food. Who knows why it’s French (and why pasta is usually served)? Not I. All I know is that Chateau Round Two was even better than the first time. Below is the beautiful Wheeler staff and an overly excited Katrina.

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2) Michelle and My First Hall Event – Hall events or programs are little dorm events, which are just opportunities for residents to spend more time together to relax or discuss relevant issues. Michelle and I decided to have some Fondue Fun and allow our residents to learn more about themselves and each other by taking a little “color” personality quiz.

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3) Friends – It’s always important to make time for your friends. Living in Wheeler as a sophomore (or junior/senior) can be a bit difficult, because most of your friends live across campus. However, meeting up at Hogan Center or Kimball is essential because friends keep you grounded, no? My roommate and I met up with one of our “far-away friends” for off-campus dinner and henna.

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4) Campus Life – After a while, all the work might get to you. So make sure you take breaks to eat, relax, and have fun. Good thing Holy Cross gives one the means to do all of those things.

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It was a pretty day + I liked my romper = asking my roommate to take a picture.
Me asking my roommate to take a picture as well = this.
Me asking my roommate to take a picture as well = this.
My roommate + fellow RA Lucca = impromptu photoshoot?
My roommate + fellow RA Lucca = impromptu photoshoot?
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Glasses + a week of work = pretending to be Harry Potter while folding laundry?

 

So, the blog take-away is: Holy Cross has got it going on. Work may be constant and the temperature may drop to 47 degrees on the 4th week of school (literally, this morning, 47 degrees), but nothing will be able to compare to the great friends and company I’ll have here on the Hill. 
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Organization Thank Yous

Hey, guys!

Well, it’s happening. My first year here at Holy Cross is slowly, but surely coming to an end.

Projects, presentations, and papers are all due this upcoming week. Everyone is undergoing a period of pressure right now, attempting to stay steadfast until finals. However, once Friday arrives, Spring Weekend begins! That’s why the anticipation for Spring Weekend is so great — something to look forward to.

Sadly, Spring Weekend is not here yet (nor is Jessie J). But Fools on the Hill and CASA are! I wanted to make a thank you post for the organizations I am a part of before the year ends. Both Fools and CASA have been so amazing to be a part of and I am so grateful to be a member of such fantastic organizations.

CASA has given me so many laughs and memories this past year. I began the year as a timid, CASA first-year intern, and now I am ending the year as an imminent CASA Co-Publicist.

My parents are both Jamaican and I grew up in a Caribbean church and community, so joining CASA really eased some my fear of not fitting in at Holy Cross. During set-up for our first campus event, another CASA member and I went off campus to get true, authentic African and Caribbean food. Needless to say, I was overjoyed. We returned with patties, samosas, fried rice, and so much more.

In terms of Fools, I had never been in an a cappella group before Holy Cross, but I am so glad I joined one. Fools has truly helped me adjust to campus. It provided me with comfort during stressful weeks and when I needed to smile, it reminded me that I have hilarious, musically-inclined friends.

Our Fools Senior Show is this Thursday, when we will sing many songs from this past year.

Here are some examples of our 2014/2015 songs:

Ain’t It Fun by Paramore

Fallin’ by Alicia Keys

Blackbird by the Beatles

Stay with Me by Sam Smith

& a Beyonce Medley

Thank you, CASA and Fools, for making my first year on the Hill a great one!

So, the blog take-away is: Holy Cross has a myriad of incredible organizations. These groups will not only be fun to join, but will also make Holy Cross feel more like home. 

Below: An assortment of Fools Pictures and CASA Culture Night Pictures (shout out to my fellow decorations committee folks)!

foolzzzzzFoolzpianofoolz80sfoolzapalooza
CASAallCASAdancedecorationsdecor
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Springing back after Spring Break

Spring Break ended this Monday, March 9th and the transition back into Holy Cross was quite complex. Either break caused me to forget how much work I have here on The Hill or professors were simply eager to start teaching again.

First off, my Spring Break was truly great. My roommate and I basically embody the quintessential, Hollywood-esque idea of college — roommates turned best buds who travel to each others’ houses over break. I went down to her hometown for the first few days of Spring Break and it was so much fun, quite different from the kind of city-life I’m used to.

Then, we travelled back up to Connecticut and I got to show her where I grew up. We even got to travel to New York to visit one of our Holy Cross friends. That’s right, Holy Cross students are friends off-campus as well, believe it or not (this was more or less a sentence my roommate wanted me to include and I actually really like it. And you thought I wouldn’t include it).

In any case, once I returned to campus, I had to distance myself from Netflix and buckle down. I had a great amount of homework due, as well as some papers. It felt as if my courses had doubled in intensity. How did I deal with this, you ask?

Well, that’s the thing about The Hill. Even though it seems like the schoolwork is never-ending, the community and atmosphere around campus will keep you sane. Maybe you’ll have friends who will make you cry of laughter when you want to cry of sorrow. Perhaps you’ll find that one professor who really understands your mindset. Heck, Kimball could be serving my, er, I mean your favorite mint chocolate brownies (I promise you, they’ll change how you see the world).

I also had Fools to fall back on as well. No matter my mood, going to rehearsal always makes me happier. Our a cappella group has such a tight bond that it’s impossible to leave feeling anything but ecstatic.

So, the blog take-away is: Here at Holy Cross, you get the whole package. 1) A rigorous, and I do mean rigorous, education. 2) A gorgeous campus. 3) A community so accepting and so welcoming that you can’t help but smile every single day. 

Below Spring Break pictures from left to right: 1 & 2) At the beach and 3) At the Reservoir in New York City

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The Hill

Hi, again!

Looks like I’ve got a hectic week ahead of me. Being involved in organizations has proved to be quite the challenge, but ultimately I’m still extremely happy. Nevertheless, with a heavy workload (German research paper due, English paper due, History team assignment due, plus all the additional work) and a heavy organization workload (two new songs for Fools on the Hill, preparation for CASA‘s Head-to-Toe Fashion Show, hosting for Prospectives, and, you know, keeping up with my blog), I feel a bit overwhelmed.

However, the great thing is — Holy Cross knows this. I don’t mean they know that they’re assigning a lot of work (which I’m sure they do know), but I mean they know that we feel overwhelmed and they are there to help. My professors actually like to know what I’m involved in and when I explain that I have/had an extremely busy week or weekend, they understand — but they also want me to understand that I’ve still got to get that work in.

Regardless, I’m happy here on The Hill. I have a fantastic roommate, who watches Netflix with me when I just cannot tolerate another Greek play and belts out Sam Smith songs with me. Moreover, I have fantastic FRIENDS! I had to leave a friend’s birthday get-together early for Fools rehearsal and someone saved me a piece of cake AND party food. This may seem minuscule and minor, but food is a big deal to me – I now deem that person to be especially special.

This blog post was certainly not as focused as my others, but below I wrote a little poem that should sum everything up. 🙂

So the blog take-away is: Life on The Hill can get hectic and life on The Hill can get hard, but life on The Hill I will never discard, for I know every day someone will make me smile and I know in the end it will all be worthwhile. 

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First picture: My hectic November calendar. Second picture: Cheering on the Crusaders at a football game (I honestly do not understand football, but it’s all about team spirit, you know?) Third picture: Walking up from Kimball. I honestly see Holy Cross in this filter 24/7. Fourth picture: Walking from Kimball again, but from a different, beautiful path.
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My Week back from Break

Hi, again!

So the first week back from break is officially over. In translation, the work begins again. I have an extremely immense amount of work to do, not because of procrastination, but just because I have quite the busy schedule.

I won’t bore you with personal dilemmas, though. Instead, I’ll give a little synopsis of my week back from break.

I returned on Sunday sometime in the evening and minutes later went to my CASA Members Meeting. Joining an organization (or a sports team) here on campus is a huge commitment; you will have events on weekdays/nights, so make sure you manage your time wisely. Monday strolled around and I had classes, my a cappella rehearsal in the evening, and Campion House cookies (below: a picture of my gorgeous friends and Campion House cookies)!

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The rest of the week went by quickly. Midterms were returned, tears were shed.

Just kidding, no tears. Midterms were returned and I was pleasantly surprised with my grades. Utilizing the Office Hours of my professors truly helped and they are always eager to see you succeed.

Finally, Friday dawned, as did Holy Cross Family Weekend! This weekend was jam-packed with cool events for families and friends. Fools on the Hill (the a cappella group I’m in) sang multiple times for different events and it was really nice being supported by students and their families. Here is a picture of us singing for families at the a cappella concert in costumes – I’m the nerd on the far right!

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Other cool events included festivities in the Hoval, the small lawn area in front of Hogan Center. My friends and I played some cool games, painted pumpkins, and listened to live music. It was so nice seeing everyone’s family come out and just have a great time. Below are some pictures of the Hoval festivities and a photo of a nice Fall walk with some friends.

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All in all, it was a good week back on the Hill.

So the blog take-away is: The first week back from Fall Break may seem brutal, but Holy Cross will always do a fantastic job of making you feel right at home again.