Holy Cross College
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- My dedicated professors absolutely love teaching. In the event that you go trick-or-treating for grad school recommendation letters twelve years after graduating, they'll probably remember you and be happy to help.
- Serving the community. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in cool community projects such as fixing up houses and helping elementary school kiddos with their homework.
- The channels between students and the powers-that-be are quite open. In fact, I might be one of the few institutions left on Earth that doesn't use robots to recite menu options in response to your questions.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- A stack of PJ pants and a few hoodies. Comfort is key on this no-frills campus.
- Notre Dame football season tickets. A portable grill and a kickin' hot wings recipe for tailgating wouldn't hurt either.
- A set of wheels or a stash of gas money to compensate your new car-owning college buddies. Although plenty of students manage just fine without a car, the town isn't particularly rife with public transit options, and people will give you weird looks if you decide to take a jaunt down the highway.
- Warm winter gear. Midwestern winters get nippy. If you don't want to end up like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, you'll need a way to fight cabin fever. Go sledding or build a snowman for your dorm.
- Travel plans. You might wonder who would ever tire of football and pizza, but the Indiana landscape can get a little flat after awhile. You'll want to escape to the mountains or a body of water that's larger than a river at least once.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- Who hasn't seen the movie Rudy starring Sean Astin? The real Rudy went to Holy Cross. Get used to being reminded of this all the time.
- I'm distinguished. HCC was given a nod by collegesofdistinction.com in 2014 for excellence in higher education.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
Live music is one of my favorite reasons to venture off campus. The Morris gets some pretty big acts. There are also some phenomenal local groups worth catching, especially in the fun gastropub atmosphere of Lasalle Kitchen & Tavern. Fun fact: Jam band Umphrey's McGee got their start right here at our college bars.
When there's nothing particularly great lined up in terms of entertainment, or when my ears are still ringing from the previous Saturday, dinner and a movie or just straight up delivery suits me just fine.
Favorite Hangouts:
- Eddy Street Commons is somewhat of a tiny town within what is kind of already a tiny town. It has everything from frozen yogurt to burritos.
- For the twenty-one-up crowd, Fiddler's Hearth is a classic Irish pub known for its live music, traditional eats, and pints of Guinness.
- A short drive or cab ride away, Cosimo & Susie's A Bit of Italy is a popular family-owned Italian joint among students and locals alike. Their pizza will have you sorry-not-sorry that you overate.
- People go to Chicory Café for the caffeine jolt and awesome lunch fare, and they stay for the homemade beignets (because fried sugar).
- Wind down from exams at Cinemark Movies 14, especially during the chilly months (which, in Indiana, is almost all of the months).
Quirks:
- Not so long ago, I was a two-year college. Historically, students used me as a shoe-in to transfer to Notre Dame after meeting freshman and sophomore core requirements. This is more of a crapshoot than a viable path nowadays.
- All Bachelor of Arts students are required to participate in a cultural immersion experience with opportunities at four exotic locations including Ghana. Love travel and adventure? Perfect. Prone to jet lag and food allergies? Far from perfect. Luckily, another option is a local community-based project of your choice in good 'ol—you guessed it—Indiana.
Famous Alumni:
- Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger played football for Notre Dame and was immortalized in the movie Rudy.
- Joe Aillet was head football coach for Louisiana Tech University in the mid-1900s.
- Timothy J. DeGeeter is Mayor of Parma, Ohio.
- George Conner (a.k.a. "Moose") was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears.
- Conrad Keefe Cyr is a senior judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals.
- Female alums are doing neat things, too, but they're too busy to brag.