Caitlin Wiffler ‘27

Student in Natural World Cluster

Last weekend was Accepted Students Day here at Holy Cross, and many students were enthusiastic to show off our school. Prospective students from far and wide were warmly welcomed to the Hill through tours and food trucks. Everyone’s spirits were up on this fine, chilly day. However, as I walked around the hoval, I noticed a lack of Holy Cross students spreading the great history and traditions of Holy Cross. As a very proud crusader, I have made it my mission to spread the very real and very well-known practices here at Holy Cross. 

To begin, there are four attributes of Holy Cross: bravery, loyalty, creativity, and ambition. These are very important to us crusaders; we use these traits to become not only better students, but better people. Also, your Montserrat cluster is actually a major part of your identity in your first-year. Those placed in the Natural World cluster have a mascot of a badger, while those placed in the Self cluster’s mascot is this thing called a griffin. The other clusters have mascots like a snake and a raven! This is all truly factual!

Other traditions include a year-long feat to win the Crusader Cup. This is not to be confused with sports– no, this Crusader Cup is given to whichever Montserrat cluster wins the most points. How do you earn points? Randomly, maybe by holding the door open for another student or giving directions to Uber drivers, students will win points that go towards their Montserrat cluster. The cluster at the most points at the end of the year wins the Crusader Cup.

Additionally, students can arrive on campus by car, plane, or our very own, specific-to-Holy-Cross train! Located on platform 7 and 1/16th, students can experience the joy of a trolley-ride to campus. And don’t forget about Kimball’s amazing feasts! Such dinners include themes such as Halloween, Thanksgiving (which happens multiple times throughout the year), Grecian, and many more! Arguably the most famous tradition here at Holy Cross is the yearly tournament for the chance to be crowned the Ignatius Champion. The contest includes challenges like slaying a dragon, diving into the basement of Brooks to retrieve one of your loved ones, and completing a maze in Freshman Field.

Traditions such as these are what make Holy Cross so magical. Don’t be shy to tell prospective students about these great practices. Holy Cross prides itself on being a welcoming place for everyone on campus, and this rich history of the Hill is what made Holy Cross the accepting and honorable place it is today. 

Copy Edited by Sophia Mariani

Featured image courtesy of Caitlin Wiffler