Month: December 2008

What a whirlwind week this has been! I finished all of my exams and final papers on Wednesday. I turned in my medieval literature paper on Friday; I took my Dante exam on Monday; turned in my Jesus and Friends final on Tuesday (long story about that one), and turned in my medieval philosophy paper on Wednesday. It was a lot of work to accomplish in such a short span of time, but it all was finished, thanks to copious amounts of tea. My Jesus and His Contemporaries final was supposed to be a typical timed final; however, the huge ice storm that walloped Worcester forced Professor Murphy out of his house. So, he wasn’t exactly able to get to campus. So, we had a take-home final instead, and we just e-mailed it to him. Ah, you have got to love the Worcester weather!

I spent most of Thursday working in Kimball; I tried to see if I could last the entire day in Kimball, but the other captains forced me to go back to my room. I did have to pack, anyway! Luckily, I was able to get out of Boston on Friday. My dad was in Boston, so he picked me up. Our flight was originally at 3:40, but Delta canceled it the night before. We were rescheduled to the 4:40 flight. Well, the huge snowstorm was supposed to hit Boston around 4:00. My dad and I tried to get on earlier flights to Atlanta, but we had no luck. So, we hoped and prayed that the 4:40 flight would make it. I’m not sure how, but we did. The snow was billowing; it was coming down sideways at one point. We finally took off at 6:15, and I landed in the beautiful 65 degree and sunny climate of Georgia at 9:00. However, it’s not supposed to be this nice for much longer. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the teens, and it’s going to continue to drop further in the week. It’s like I never left Holy Cross!

While I was waiting in the airport for a good eight hours, I had a chance to reflect about this past semester. I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ve been pushed to such a limit before in my life. On the other hand, I wouldn’t change anything about this semester. Freshman year was a crash course in learning how to live by myself, adjust to college classes, and begin to realize what I’m meant to do in this world. A perquisite of sophomore year is having a grasp on all of that. You just dive in to everything about sophomore year. If freshman year was a springboard year, then sophomore year has been a formation year. Sure, there were fights with friends, long nights in the libraries, talks with chaplains and Jesuits, dusty books to be read, and days that were pulled from Canto XXIV of Inferno, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. This entire semester has shown me that college isn’t just about learning; it’s about forming the self. I can’t imagine forming myself, both intellectually and spiritually, at any other institution than Holy Cross, as “tour-guide” as that sounds. It’s really quite true. I’ve talked to my friends from home about our various experiences, and, while they’re all loving their own college experiences, I just know that I wouldn’t be having the same experience anywhere else. This semester has really sealed that. Between the fantastic professors that I had this semester, the wealth of knowledge that I learned in my amazing classes, and everything else that happened this semester, I’ve just realized even more that Holy Cross truly is the place for me. 

After working all day Tuesday and Wednesday on my medieval literature paper, I decided that I deserved a break. Carrie, Amy (a friend from my medieval literature class), and I decided to bake a pecan pie. Yes, it was quite random, but it was one of the best study breaks. Our procrastination yielded a delicious treat! Pecan pie isn’t exactly brain food, but it most certainly is delicious.

This morning was my last breakfast shift with my workers. They presented me with a collage of random pictures that they had taken throughout the semester. Waking up at 6:30 two days in a row was not ideal, but my workers definitely made it fun.

And, now, here is some inspiration from one of my high school friends, Tom, for upcoming finals.

A Prayer for Final Exams

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not flunk;
He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying.
He leadeth me beside the water cooler for a study break.
He restoreth my faith in study guides.
He leads me to better study habits
For my grade's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of borderline grades,
I will not have a nervous breakdown For Thou art with me.
My prayers and my friends, they comfort me.
Thou givest me answers in moments of blankness;
Thou anointest my head with understanding.
My test paper runneth over with questions I recognize.
Surely passing grades and flying colors shall follow me.
All the days of my examination,
And I shall not have to dwell in this college forever,
AMEN

The weather this week has been unpredictable! On Monday, the temperature was in the single digits and the wind chill made it feel below zero. Yesterday, the temperature was around forty. Last night, however, the wind was insane. During the night, a huge tree outside of Wheeler actually snapped. And, today is around fifty-five degrees, but it’s pouring. It is supposed to hail tomorrow, and it’s supposed to snow on Friday. Talk about getting in all the extremes.

Anyway, if you’ve read my blog for the past year, you’ll understand that my life is a series of awkward events strung together. This proved more true yesterday than any other day this semester. After enjoying my quick lunch from Crossroads, I walked outside to throw away my trash. Unfortunately, I was gripping my ID card in addition to my trash, and I accidentally threw away my ID card. You can’t get anywhere on campus without your ID card. I debated my options for a minute. Should I dig through the trash to find my ID? Or should I spend $20 to have Public Safety issue me another one? Like any good college student, I decided to save some money. Yes, I actually dug through the trash for my ID card. Here’s the best part. I didn’t see anyone around me, so I thought that my trash-delving would go unnoticed. Unfortunately, a girl from my Dante class and all of her friends walked by as I was elbow deep in the trash can. The good news is that I eventually found it. The bad news is that it’s sitting in a sanitizing solution for the next three months or so. Now that I think about it, that trash can is very close to the webcam on Hogan’s roof. So, if anyone happened to be watching the webcam yesterday at 1:30 or so, you probably saw my trash escapade.

In other (less embarrassing) news, last night was the Christmas Tree lighting. It is officially Christmas on campus now! Fr. Dunn presided, and the pep band and Chamber Choir performed. Oh, yes, there were also cookies and hot cider. Last night was also the final Fools on the Hill show, so Ashley, Katie, and I saw Jess perform one last time.

Classes ended yesterday. Study period starts today and lasts until Friday. My final medieval literature paper is due on Monday, and my Dante final exam is on Monday as well. My Jesus and His Contemporaries final exam is on Tuesday, and my medieval Philosophy final paper is due on Wednesday. I can’t believe that I’ll be finished with everything in a week. This semester is vanishing before my eyes!

On Thursday, I told my friends at dinner that it simply didn’t feel like December. At this time last year, the temperature was below freezing every morning. I remember bundling up to go to work at Kimball at seven o’clock. While it was still cold, it wasn’t as cold as I had remembered. Well, dreams do come true! It has been absolutely freezing since Friday.  This morning, the temperature was in the single digits. Right now, the temperature has climbed to a whopping 11 degrees. It might sound like I’m complaining, but, in reality, I adore the cold weather. Fall is my favorite season, and winter is a close second. I guess that I chose the right college location, then!

If you can believe it, tomorrow is my last day of classes. Study period begins on Wednesday, and final exams begin on Saturday. I cannot believe how quickly this semester has flown. The conclusion of this semester is bittersweet. While I’m looking forward to Christmas break and next semester, this semester was so engaging. I loved all of my classes, and I will miss them. I’ll miss Professor Manoussakis’ thought provoking application of Medieval thought in modern life; I’ll miss Fr. Howard’s tangents on Dante. I’ll miss Professor Juilfs’ vast knowledge of the medieval world; I’ll miss Professor Murphy’s analysis of the Bible and other ancient literature. Well, let me rephrase that lament. I’ll miss the information presented and the fantastic professors, but I won’t miss the workload. Speaking of next semester, my I finalized my schedule. I will be taking the Ideological Destruction of Art (my Honors seminar), Mathematics in Art, Early Christian Literature (I cannot get enough of St. Augustine!), and a J.R.R. Tolkien seminar (Oh, yes, bring on the nerd!).

And I am now going to abuse the power of this blog to wish my dad a happy belated birthday and my sister an on-time happy birthday!