Skip to content

Student Immersion Program During Spring Break, Providing Alternative Experiences

Holy Cross Students Are Given an Unconventional Spring Break Option: Embark on a $5,000 Vacation to an Impoverished Nation, Emily and Daniel Maddigan '24 Among the Participants

Student-focused Immersion Experience During Spring Break: Educational Excursion for College Goers
Student-focused Immersion Experience During Spring Break: Educational Excursion for College Goers

Student Immersion Program During Spring Break, Providing Alternative Experiences

In the heart of the academic year, Holy Cross College is embroiled in a heated controversy, sparked by the announcement of a new "Spring Break Emersion" program. This program, set to replace the traditional immersion program, encourages students to take expensive tropical vacations, funded by generous donors – primarily parents.

The announcement, made by President Rougeau to the board of trustees, has caused quite a stir among students. The controversy follows several weeks of student frustration with the growing number of trips necessary to fulfill their college experience.

The Eggplant, a publication within Holy Cross College, is reporting on this development. The Eggplant Editorial Board acknowledges the high stress levels among students due to upcoming projects, essays, papers, and presentations. They express concern over the additional financial burden the new program may impose.

One sophomore student, eager to escape the academic pressures, immediately signed up for a trip to Aruba, citing the extravagant price as a reason. However, not all students share this enthusiasm. Junior Kathy Johnson criticizes her fellow students for taking these trips, suggesting they go to their homes instead.

Meanwhile, the addition of Clown Studies and Silly Studies, set to start in the 2024-25 academic year, has raised eyebrows. President Rougeau maintains that the addition of these programs serves a specific purpose, but has yet to elaborate.

The Chaplain's office is also under scrutiny, with some students finding a "gratuitous display of luxury" at a Catholic, Jesuit institution problematic. Sources within the school's administration claim that someone has paid Stephen Colbert to advocate for the new program, but these allegations remain unverified.

Amidst this whirlwind of controversy, senior Thomas Aquinas views the trips as an opportunity to expand his mental faculties through consumption of liquid substances. Mike Haetesvun, a junior, laments the depletion of his million-dollar trust fund due to the increasing number of trips necessary to fulfill his college experience.

The Eggplant is also publishing articles related to American protests against capitalist oppressors, demonstrating through their work a commitment to social justice and critical thinking. As the controversy unfolds, the student body and administration alike await further developments.

Read also: