During the month of June, members of the Class of 2020 and their parents attended Summer Gateways, the College’s summer orientation program, where they became better acquainted with all things Holy Cross. The one-and-a-half day orientation, offered in three separate sessions, aimed to help students make a successful transition into the College through information sessions and discussions with current students, faculty and administrators on academics, spiritual and social life at the College.
Although the Gateways’ schedule was busy, there was still plenty of time for fun.
Orientation leaders facilitated group activities to answer questions about life on the Hill as current students themselves and — most importantly — helped members of the Class of 2020 meet and get to know their fellow classmates.
Meeting the Class Dean
While at Gateways, students also met their class dean, John Anderson, professor of mathematics, who will serve as their dean for all four years of their time at Holy Cross. By working with the students from their acceptance through graduation, the class dean observes and participates in the intellectual and personal development of the students over the course of their undergraduate experience.
“It was exciting to meet and see members of the incoming class and their parents in person for the first time,” shares Anderson. “For me the highlight was the academic advising sessions where students got to talk with a faculty member about course selection for the fall. There was a lot of energy in the room and I hope students came away with their questions answered.”
As a second-time class dean, Anderson says he looks forward to working with students and seeing their progress over the next four years, now armed with the knowledge and experience he gained from the Class of 2015.
Students Prepare with First-Year Reading
In preparation for beginning their education at Holy Cross, the incoming class is reading “When Breath Becomes Air,” a memoir by the late Dr. Paul Kalanithi and chosen by Anderson. The memoir was written while Kalanithi, a promising young neurosurgeon, was dying from lung cancer and serves as a meditation on themes such as death, the brain and human identity, medicine and the doctor-patient relationship, and life.
“After looking at many possibilities for the first-year reading, I chose this one because it has many themes that make it a fitting introduction to a Jesuit, liberal arts education, and because it may resonate with our many students who are considering a career in the health professions,” Anderson explains. “As a college student, Kalanithi studied both the humanities and the sciences, earning degrees in English literature and human biology. Both literature and his experience of life and death as a doctor and patient are essential to his exploration of moral questions; I hope students will be inspired by his curiosity and courage.”
Programming around the book will be held for the incoming class when students arrive on campus this fall.
Orientation Continues with Fall Gateways
Additionally, students will continue where the summer orientation program left off with Fall Gateways, a four-day program that extends from move-in day to the first day of classes, with a greater emphasis on the residential aspect of their college experience. During Fall Gateways, student resident assistants and orientation leaders welcome new students and help them foster connections with their peers.
