Best of the Week 2018-2019: Holy Cross Values

HOSPITALITY: ST. ED'S WELCOMES THE CLASS OF 2022 AT NIGHT AT THE NEST

Hospitality is a charism central to the philosophy of Holy Cross education. St. Edward High School's commitment to hospitality manifests within the first few weeks of each new school year, starting with the annual tradition of Night at the Nest. Night at the Nest is an opportunity to officially welcome the new incoming class and their families into the St. Edward community right before the school year begins. On Saturday, August 18, the Class of 2022, their families, and faculty and staff members joined together for a communal dinner on the front lawn of campus to kick off the weekend event. After dinner, families were dismissed as students anxiously awaited to share one of the most memorable nights of their St. Ed's career together.

For part of the night, groups of incoming freshmen teamed up with upperclassmen volunteers to participate in a campus-wide challenge made up of various activities and competitions. Students accumulated points based on how well they completed each activity, ranging from making a field goal, constructing a successful cushion for an egg drop, to throwing the perfect pitch to dunk math teacher Mr. Dan Corcoran '07 in the dunk tank. After the Night at the Nest challenge was completed, upperclassmen rallied together with the incoming freshmen in the gym to teach them some of the Edsmen student traditions. Students then spent the remainder of the night at the school.

Night at the Nest is not only a time for incoming students to become acclimated to St. Ed's campus before school begins, but it's also a chance for them to bond with their fellow classmates in a fun way and for faculty, staff and upperclassmen to create relationships with the newest Edsmen. The relationships that bond the St. Edward community stem from the shared experience of hospitality and compassion modeled every day by the faculty and students together. These relationships are fostered from day one, and Night at the Nest is one of the best opportunities that St. Ed's offers for relationships to develop.

On Sunday morning, the freshmen students' families returned for an outdoor Mass in celebration of the beginning of their journey at St. Ed's. Joining in prayer is a central part of the spiritual life of St. Edward High School. Celebrating Mass together to cap off Night at the Nest is one of St. Ed's favorite ways to show our hospitality and welcome new members into our community.