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Looking Back, Looking Forward: Welcome 2020s!

Hello, readers, and Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season with friends and family. I once again find myself in my hometown of Rochester, N.Y., anxiously awaiting the start of my fourth semester at Holy Cross. Although being home has been restful and quite enjoyable, I simply cannot wait to return to the Hill. I definitely miss my friends, as well as having more of a structured schedule to my day. Let’s face it—a person can play only so many hours of NBA 2K20 each day before even it becomes boring.

There are several additional reasons, however, for my eagerness to return to campus. As mentioned in a previous post, I am very excited for the classes that I was able to enroll in for the upcoming semester. I will be taking Research Methods for the Psychology major, Development of Social Theory for the Sociology major, Kafka, Hesse, Mann & Contemporary Literature for the German minor, as well as Ecological Spirituality as a Religious Studies requirement. I must also mention that I was able to create a schedule for myself in which I have ZERO classes on Fridays. If that’s not something worth looking forward to, then I’m not sure what is.

Additionally, I have been spending a portion of my break preparing to apply to a UK Summer Fulbright Institute. Specifically, I have my sights set on spending a month of this coming summer studying at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Although the scholarship is extremely competitive, I believe the program would be the perfect alternative to studying abroad for me, and I am extremely interested in the University’s summer course offerings through the program. More on this process to come!

As mentioned, I also have several sports broadcasting opportunities this coming semester. In fact, I will be scouting out the men’s basketball team in their home matchup against Navy on Sunday, January 5th. I will admit, however, that I am not making the long journey to Worcester for the sole purpose of seeing this game. Rather, I will stopping by Worcester on my return home from a Celtics versus Hawks game in Boston on Friday. I can’t wait to catch some great basketball!

Clearly, the opportunities to begin the new decade are abundant. I’m very grateful to be in this position, and I feel ready to make this year even more memorable than the last. I truly do believe that the best is yet to come, and I cannot wait to write about it. Until then, Happy New Year, and Go Crusaders!

 
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The End is Near: A Look Forward at May 2019

Hello, readers! Apologies for being a bit late in posting to my blog. Following the publication of my “vlog” installment (see previous post), I had two extremely busy weeks, including, most notably, enrolling in four courses for Fall 2019. Following several hours of thought, I decided that, in addition to pursuing a psychology major, I will attempt to complete a sociology major, as well as a German minor. I actually spent quite a bit of time mapping out my future courses and how I can meet the requirements of each major/minor. Although pursuing three separate tracks of study will certainly be challenging, I find these fields quite fascinating, and definitely believe that I am capable of managing the coursework necessary in each of these courses of study.

In addition to this development, it is worth mentioning the awesome Easter break I had! Following my last class on Wednesday, my dad (having driven to campus) and I took off for TD Garden in Boston, MA once again. This time, we watched our beloved Celtics in Game 2 of their first-round sweep of the Indiana Pacers. This marked our first time attending an NBA playoff game, and the atmosphere was electric. I’ve already promised myself that I will save up enough money this summer to catch some weekend games next season.

Easter back home in Rochester, NY was relaxing, as expected. My nineteenth birthday was actually on Holy Thursday, and although I had to spend much of the day traveling, the time I spent with family and friends back home made it more than worth it. As I drove out of Rochester on Monday, I simply could not believe that it was the last time I would be leaving my hometown for college during my freshman year. I have mentioned this in previous blog posts, but freshman year has absolutely flown by. To think that I will be home for good in just nineteen days seems absolutely crazy. That said, there is still business to be taken care of! Here is my list (in no particular order) of the top five things I still have to look forward to in the next three weeks:

1.  My 5v5 intramural basketball team, the Kimballers, has its first playoff game  tomorrow night! We are 2-1 on the season, but Thursday night’s matchup promises to be a very challenging contest, seeing as we will be facing off against a number of Club Basketball players. I have served as the captain of this team, and I must say that I am proud of how the team has played over the past few weeks. Now let’s get this win!

2. The housing selection process for next year is coming up in a couple of weeks. I’ve already registered with my roommate for next year, so now we are just waiting to be able to select our room for next year! My new roommate lives in Rochester as well, so that should make buying things for next year even easier. Naturally, however, all of my friends and I are maneuvering to try to live near each other next year, so fingers crossed!

3. For my Fundamentals of Music course, I am currently completing a song analysis of “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie (1979). This project, which is part of my final exam, has offered me a unique opportunity to apply everything I have learned all semester in this course to a song of my own choice. The project includes analysis of melody, harmony, rhythm, meter, lyrics, chord progression, key changes, etc. I’ve found my work on this song to be a difficult, yet rewarding experience. I will admit, however, that I am becoming increasingly tired of this particular song, seeing as I have now listened to it in its entirety dozens of times.

4. Speaking of music, the Holy Cross Spring Concert is fast approaching! This year’s concert, sponsored by Campus Activities Board (CAB), will be headlined by Loud Luxury, as well as Jay Sean. Although I am not particularly familiar with either artist, I still think that the concert will be an awesome time, especially seeing as it will be the last “true” weekend of the year. I’ve already purchased my ticket, so now all I can do is wait!

5. Lastly, these last three weeks will simply be a great opportunity to spend time with the friends I have made this year. It seems impossible that most of us will have to go over three months without seeing each other. Such is college, however, seeing as students come from all over the U.S., or even beyond. That said, these last few weeks are going to be a blast, and I’ll definitely savor every moment.

Hopefully this post wasn’t too lengthy! I definitely had a lot to share, and was glad I finally found a bit of spare time to be able to do so. To all students, best of luck during these last few weeks of classes! Stay tuned for updates on how the aforementioned events unfold, as well as some concluding remarks on my amazing freshman year at Holy Cross. Peace!
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A Day in the Life: Aidan Ruppert ’22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, all! I decided to try something a bit different for this week’s installment to my blog: a vlog. Follow me around as I work my way through a very busy day at Holy Cross!
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“The Show Must Go On”: An Anecdote

Hello, readers! Three weeks down, three weeks to go until our first break of the new semester! It has been an extremely busy stretch for me academically, but I have managed thus far to remain afloat in all of my classes.

As mentioned in the profile page for my blog, I am a member of WCHC 88.1 Sports. More specifically, I am a color commentator for radio broadcasts of men’s and women’s basketball games. I actually found out about the program primarily through one of its co-president, seeing as he as a fellow alumnus of my high school. WCHC is extremely easy for anyone to join, however, and I would encourage any person with an interest in broadcasting (sports or music) to consider the organization.

Anyway, I have now been on the air for two women’s basketball games, as well as for one men’s game. Even though I’m a color commentator, rather than the play-by-play broadcaster, I put a fair amount of time into preparing for each game. I do brief research into the tendencies, backgrounds, and statistics of the opposing team’s key players. This preparation allows for a more smooth, fluid broadcast, as was the case during the women’s games I’ve called over the past two weeks.

Last Wednesday, my job was to provide color commentary for the men’s game against Army West Point. Unfortunately, however, one of our current play-by-play broadcasters was unavailable for the first half of the game. I figured that we would be unable to broadcast that night, seeing as it isn’t very easy to offer a comprehensive radio broadcast with only one commentator. I then realized, however, that I may not have the opportunity to offer play-by-play commentary again for quite some time. I decided that, as the adage goes, the show must go on! In my very first men’s basketball broadcast, I served as the play-by-play commentator for the first half of a 56-42 victory over Army. I did so without even having a color commentator alongside me. Although this was certainly a challenge, being a dedicated fan and follower of our basketball team certainly paid dividends. The broadcast, though quite far from perfect, went fairly smoothly. Although I much prefer offering color commentary for broadcasts, the experience was valuable for its spontaneity and difficulty nevertheless.

That’s all for this week’s installment! I’ve had a lot of awesome, blog-worthy experiences related to basketball as of late, but I promise I will write about my other experiences very soon. Until next time!

 
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First Weekend Back: Hoops Galore!

Hello, all! It is currently the Sunday afternoon before our second week of classes of the new semester. My courses have had a fairly encouraging start, so I am certainly looking forward to seeing how the semester unfolds academically.

Today, however, I am writing about the wonderful, action-packed weekend I’ve had. Though it was only the first weekend of a long semester, I’m certain that I will remember it for quite some time.

Friday night began in a manner similar to other weekends on campus: treating myself to a delicious meal at Crossroads. As most Holy Cross students can attest to, a large number of students love to indulge in the food items Crossroads has to offer, particularly after a long week of classes. After dinner, I spent several hours socializing with other students back in my own dorm. Everybody seemed excited to have returned, and it was enjoyable being able to relax with one another once again.

After a quick breakfast at Kimball on Saturday morning, my dad arrived on campus after having made the drive from Rochester, NY. We then visited the Holy Cross Bookstore before getting lunch off campus at Wings Over Worcester. As a chicken enthusiast myself, I would HIGHLY recommend Wings Over Worcester for their large portions and quick service. Be sure to check them out!

An order of boneless chicken wings and waffle fries from local restaurant Wings Over Worcester
A supersized order of boneless wings provided not only a delicious meal, but also leftovers for later!

After lunch, my dad and I headed back to campus to check out our men’s basketball team in their home matchup with the Navy Midshipmen. The Crusaders emerged victorious in an exciting contest, winning 69-64 after trailing at halftime. The atmosphere at the Hart Center was electric, perhaps in large part due to the number of alumni in attendance as part of Winter Homecoming 2019.

A view from the stands of Holy Cross and Navy basketball players preparing for tipoff.
A view of the Hart Center just seconds before the beginning of an exciting afternoon game against Navy.

Following the Navy game, my dad and I left campus for (arguably) an even more exciting basketball game: Celtics vs. Warriors in Boston, MA. This was our sixth NBA game together (fourth at TD Garden), but no game prior had ever presented the same level of anticipation and excitement. In short, the game tickets were the best Christmas present a Celtics fan like me could ever ask for. After checking into our hotel in Boston, we made the short walk to TD Garden. There, after spending a bit too much money on apparel from the team store, we found our seats. We then witnessed one of the most exciting basketball games either of us had ever seen live, with the Celtics tragically falling 115-111 at the hands of Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors. Though the loss certainly stung, I find some solace in knowing that the Celtics should exact revenge on the Warriors in the NBA Finals come June.

Me (Aidan) holding a new Jayson Tatum Celtics jersey with TD Garden's court in the background
Fortunately for Celtics fans, I am now thoroughly equipped to replace star Jayson Tatum if he were to suffer an unfortunate injury.

In conclusion, it was a Saturday filled with great food, extraordinary basketball, and a good time with my dad. It will be difficult to surpass this weekend in terms of enjoyment, but with a long semester to go, anything is possible!

Thank you for checking in and reading this week’s installment of my blog. Until next time!