Julianna Mariani ‘24

A Pretty Pessimistic Chief

Congratulations, guys, we made it through the week! TGIF. To be honest with you, I don’t know how I did and I’m feeling pretty on top of the world. Fall break is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but it’s so weird. Being a sophomore, I didn’t know what I was missing last year when we didn’t have a break at all. Sure it was a lot to go straight from September first to Thanksgiving, but I didn’t really have anything to compare it to so we made it work. This year though, fall break was quite ideal.

The thing about break is that it’s not really great in terms of school work. Profs. amp up the work right until the Friday before we leave and everyone’s struggling to turn in essays, prepare for discussions, and study for midterms. You tell yourself, I just have to make it to Friday, I just have to make it to Friday. And then you do, of course, and you say, okay, now it’s fall break, let me take a breather. You convince yourself it’ll only be for a day or two and then you’ll get back on the grind. Then, all of a sudden, it’s Sunday and you’re driving back to Holy Cross and you haven’t done a lick of work. Then the startling realization comes that things are going to be just as hot and heavy in the next few weeks as they were right before you left. There are no lulls in semesters at College of the Holy Cross, as much as the administration likes to say there is, I will continue to be just as stressed out until Thanksgiving. Yay.

Being home was weird too. I have come to the conclusion that time stands still in my hometown. I went back and I swear nothing changed. It was like traveling through a time machine right back to high school. Especially when you come from a small town like mine where everyone knows everyone. I went to my high school to visit an old teacher and the only thing that had changed was the classroom doors. Even the window boxes in the hallways still had the same art as pre-pandemic life. I couldn’t wait to get back on the Hill. I had to get out of that Twilight Zone. I’ll admit, though, it was perfect timing for spooky season. 

Anyway, I wish you all luck with the next couple of weeks. And get hyped for family weekend, when your hometown comes to you instead of the other way around. Yay again.