At Holy Cross there is one big goal for all students; that goal is to live up to the expectations of being a Holy Cross man. How can you be one, you may ask? Well, I hope to give you general guidelines for it here. Ever since I came to Holy Cross in fifth grade I’ve seen both good and bad examples, but I’m happy to say that many of the good examples are able to outweigh the bad ones.
In a brief interview with students, I’ve gathered that there are plenty of students, if not already, well on their way to accomplishing becoming a true Holy Cross man. Senior Antonio Rodarte said, “In being a Holy Cross man one must be an outstanding individual and a good person. This is a must for being successful in living up to those expectations”. In another interview a senior, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Though I believe there are many who haven’t been living up to the expectations, there are around the same if not more living up to them”. This is hopeful to hear and urged me to do whatever I can, as a Holy Cross man, to help my younger HC brothers continue in the right direction on this journey.
After analyzing the code, I’ve come up with major traits that I believe serve as pillars to guide a young student into becoming a true Holy Cross man:
Honesty: This quality is the one I personally find the most important. Honesty shows maturity. It shows others around us that we have integrity, a moral code and rightly just actions. What do you gain by lying to your brothers and family? I’d say nothing. There is only things to lose from it. Trust is very important in this day and age.
Loyalty: Loyalty to our friends, family, and Holy Cross brothers is of utmost importance. We are a Holy Cross family, and like family we should love each other. We all have our own flaws, likes, and dislikes, but its these things that make up who we are. Loyalty is another quality that improves our public image. Having a reputation of always being there for your friends is a very good quality to have; it shows responsibility and respect.
Individualism: Though we are a family, we must remember to be ourselves. You can try to be like everyone else and fit in all the time but that really isn’t being a Holy Cross man. A Holy Cross man respects all and protects those who are different even if they are judged for it.
Remember, we are one family with one mission, to live like a Holy Cross man . I’d like to give a personal thank you to all of my brothers out there who try their best to live to the Holy Cross Man. We are HC!