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For a few days, nearly every moment at º£½ÇÖ±²¥ carried the energy of a beginning.

Cars pulled onto campus packed with the pieces of a new life. Families hauled boxes into residence halls. New roommates met for the first time. Students walked through the Millennium Archway and into a community ready to welcome them.

Welcome Weekend began Friday with the arrival of the Class of 2030 and the opening of Holy Cross Hall, the College’s first new campus building in more than a decade. It continued with the traditions, conversations and shared experiences designed to turn a group of new students into a community of Saints.

At Matriculation, the newest members of Holy Cross pledged themselves to the education of their hearts and minds and embraced their call to become scholars, citizens, leaders and disciples. Then came the first goodbyes, the first residence hall programs and the first opportunities to build friendships that may last well beyond college.

Students gathered for meals, worship, activities and time with their new crews. Across campus, names became familiar, unfamiliar spaces began to feel navigable and Holy Cross started to feel a little more like home.

The celebration continued as the campus community gathered at Hardesty Plaza for HoCro Nation, the College’s annual academic year kickoff. The Christina Kateri Band filled the plaza with current and classic hits as students, faculty and staff enjoyed lawn games and treats from Kona Ice, Kiem’s Elephant Ears and Bonnie Doon Ice Cream, while dancing and flipping the evening away. Fireworks brought the evening, and the opening celebration, to a fitting close.

Now, the suitcases are unpacked. Families have returned home. Classrooms, residence halls and walkways are settling into their daily rhythms.

Welcome Weekend offered the Class of 2030 a joyful entrance into Holy Cross.

Relive the joy, traditions and new beginnings of HoCro Nation through the photo gallery below.