I LOVE winter. I love the feeling of my lungs filling up with cold, clean, fresh air. I love roasting marshmallows and campfires.
'TWAS the week before exams, As odd thoughts filled my head. I'm excited about these tests, They don't fill me with dread. Certainly, I'm thrilled That this class work will be done. But the real reason is much deeper, It's what makes the season such fun. The real reason should not Be an idea that is new. After next week, we're home. How could exams make you blue? We all should be excited, For something personal to not just me. It's a thing common to us all, It's home, can't you see? It's important to remember, The fun this semester has been. But it is the thoughts of home That will make us grin. After the pain of next week, You'll spend time with your brother. You'll talk with your sister, Your father and mother. These days up ahead Are filled with great joy. Much different than summer, This break won't be coy. Pretty soon you shall greet, With friends you've ignored. You'll share stories and laughter, Never once feeling bored. We'll have our freedom back, When these exams finish. Life won't be about grades, We'll do what we wish. Home has a nice ring to it, And I've been saying it often. It reminds me of peace, Of family -- my own personal heaven. These semesters, they fly by, I don't think anyone would doubt. When we realize how fast time passes, It's hard not to pout. Now I am one to complain, As I sit here and realize. Where has the time gone? I can see age in my eyes. Where are those days Of my irresponsible youth? I write this on a Saturday night, What could be better proof? I definitely do lament, This quick passage of time, But these coming weeks are different, They've encouraged me to rhyme. It's home that we work for, It should be our reason. Don't let exams get you down, They're not part of the season. This morning try to smile, Because the end is quite near. Yes, it's a sign we're getting older, And that is something to fear. But it's also a sign, That vacation is 'round the corner. The home cooked feasts are near, And the car we'll soon pack her. We long for the days when We're free from toil of class, The days we can sleep, And still have time for Mass. We long for those days, So close, they're a danger. To make it through these exams, We'll need to stay focused a little longer. Though this semester shall end, With each Blue Book we give We'll still look forward To the next semester we'll live. We look forward to new classes, To new lessons and new books. We look forward to a clean slate, One without crannies or nooks. These days will come soon, Bringing with them new knowledge. I wish you the best next week. Hey, it's part of college. So, make sure you are safe, As home you'll soon seek. The joy of the season to all, And to all: Good luck next week. (Luke Ryan is a Cavalier Daily columnist.)
IN THE spirit of the holiday season, I would like to offer a list of superlatives for holiday decorations, clothes, music and other manners of cheer sprinkling. Best type of decoration: Anything that involves food.
FOR THOSE of you who are really on top of your Christmas tunes, I lifted this line right out of a Raffi song: "Christmas time's a'comin' and I know I'm going home." And while "Deck the Halls" and "Jingle Bells" also are parts of my Christmas repertoire, it is the quirky, not-so-universal traditions, those unique to my family, that provide this holiday with its comfort and joy. Raffi is just one of the endless cycle of cassette tapes my mom plays - yes, she still plays it, along with "We Sing Christmas" - as we decorate cookies and the tree.
I CAN JUST see it now. A majestic, towering, perfectly symmetrical tree dominating the entire space around it in the main entrance.
I HAVE been blessed more than most. The Big Man Upstairs, in His eternal and infinite wisdom, opted to give this sinner far more than he ever deserved.
EVEN THOUGH it was less than two weeks ago, the onslaught of final papers, exams and the like have made the Thanksgiving holiday feel like an ancient memory for most of us.
HOLIDAYS have a unique role in American life. Let's face it -- we're not a country enamored with tradition.
WHAT IS most college students' equivalent to the Holy Grail? No, it's not a bottomless keg. It's not edible dining hall food.
AS WE COME to the end of classes for the semester, familiar rituals begin to take place. Students consume large quantities of caffeine.
FORTY-SEVEN single rooms and over 200 people who want to live in them. Such is the dilemma faced by the Lawn Selection Committee every winter.
LOSING bites. There is no politically correct euphemism for it, it simply means that one person is the winner, and the rest are losers. Vice President Al Gore has lost the election, but by all standards of fairness, he is not a sore loser; he is a politician.
WHERE my freaks at?!? I will tell you where they're at - Clemons Library. These are the people who, just about every time you stop by Clemons to study, are there hanging around.
THERE are many controversial proposals in the recently released Honor System Review Commission report, including getting rid of student juries and changing the format of the trial process.
DO THESE questions sound familiar? "Did you see how much the summer construction improved Scott Stadium?" "Yeah, but I won't be able to see it from my dorm window in Woody House until November, but that's the way it goes, I guess." "Did you hear about the new gift to the medical school?" "Yeah, I read about it while waiting for class to start in my decrepit classroom in Cabell Hall, but that's life." "Do you like Pepsi?" "Of course not, but whatever." "Who do you think should win Florida?" "I don't care, just as long as the media circus ends soon." It's been a long semester, but alas, now it's drawing to a close.
MEANINGFUL IDEAS don't change. If Marxism is wrong, it can't become right. If honor is right, it can't become wrong. The Honor Committee is under the impression that its rules, procedures and so forth must be modernized to reflect the mores and the social norms of today.
THERE is a battle occurring inside each one of us. Our animalistic side is fighting our rational side.
WITH ALL the legal wrangling taking place in Florida and across our fair country, I only feel the slightest bit deprived because of the cruelty of time.
WALKING between classes last week, I overheard one University student comment on how hard it is to be a woman at the University.
FOR AS long as I can remember, my grandmother has displayed in a framed picture case a phrase that has recently become my favorite to quote and to pass around: "Sometimes we forget how far we've progressed and how much we've accomplished." This passage couldn't be truer.
