Eddie Euceda ‘22, Thuy Nguyen ‘22

Guest Contributors 

As future Co-Presidents of SGA, Chris and Cole have a strong desire and calling to bring back a belief in something bigger, a belief in the unity of the Holy Cross Community. With the importance of advocating and educating others more about mental health at the forefront of their student movement, both Chris and Cole believe it is vital, as a community, that we prioritize mental health as our top focus and that we need to destigmatize each and everyone’s personal struggles. Chris and Cole propose the following: 

1) Personal mental health days counting as excused absences without administration approval 

2) The devotion of more resources to the counseling center including: The hiring of a BIPOC counselor, the creation of various support groups, a 24-hour on-call in-person crisis center, and the shifting of hours to accommodate student schedules. 

3) The institution of campus-wide QPR training (Question, Persuade, Refer program) 4) Instituting a Pass/Fail option for students with four classes. 

The student experience here at Holy Cross should be one that is full of excitement and growth. However, many of our students miss out on these great opportunities because we are all very overwhelmed. Chris and Cole believe that Holy Cross should meet students where they are at. In order to do so, they propose the following: 

1) The working hours of all facilities including, but not limited to, the Jo, Kimball, the Luth Athletic Complex Center, and all the libraries on campus should be extended to accommodate students’ needs. 

2) Create various alternative meal plan options for students that include, but are not limited to, swipe and dining dollar flexibility. 

3) The reinstitution of PUB nights on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights as an option for students to socialize and responsibly consume alcohol. 

The resident hall experience here at Holy Cross constitutes an integral part of the full Holy Cross experience. Therefore, it should be an enjoyable one. Policies enforced on our campus today, such as alcohol and cannabis policies, represent a source of tension, and thus should be reviewed and rolled back to aid in fostering a more unifying and supporting community. In particular, the role of the Residential Assistants (RAs) should shift to focus more on community building through appropriate programming rather than one that is of policing and documentation. Furthermore, to ensure that all students feel adequately represented and welcomed, instituting gender-neutral housing should be welcomed. Most importantly, it should not come as an additional cost to our students. 

Chris and Cole’s final focus comes in a revamped young alumni program. Over the past year, they have witnessed the grief of our graduating classes as their time came to an end. Their program will allow our young alumni back on campus to participate and to add to our campus culture. They plan to offer our alumni, who recently graduated, an opportunity for a “100 days ball,” extended access to on-campus resources, and a mentorship program between alumni and seniors who will serve as a touchpoint for post-graduate opportunities and advice. 

As a campus, it is time to come together to create a culture for Holy Cross that we are proud to be a part of. When we all work together, we are an amazingly talented group of young adults

who can achieve anything we set our minds to. As Co-Presidents, Chris and Cole sincerely wish for every student to take an active role in the shaping of our community. Their movement is one for the students by the students. If we all come together now, we can establish a legacy that will 

set the course for new generations of Holy Cross students for many years to come. We will establish a legacy in which everyone feels welcomed, appreciated, and connected. We will establish a legacy on which we can all look back on and be proud. Therefore, both Chris and Cole humbly ask that you become a part of their team and to help create a belief in something bigger than ourselves this upcoming academic school year. Holy Cross, it is time to take back our community!