I can’t help but feel a little guilty as I write the introduction to this year’s holiday guide. I know that all over campus students will put aside their studies to read the stories contained here: Where to shop, what movies to see, where to go ice skating and how the different religious traditions celebrate the season. So much to learn, and it is all infinitely more satisfying than studying for that Biochem exam. I just hope that The University News isn’t responsible for too many bad grades this semester.

Of course, finals week has always been about procrastination. If there wasn’t a holiday guide, there would be an endless supply of distractions elsewhere. I never clean my apartment until the end of the semester, but somehow dusting and scrubbing seems more urgent than my paper on W.B. Yeats. I also plan to clean out my fridge, re-alphabetize my record collection and storm-proof the windows before the week is out. This stuff has to be done, right?

No, it’s time to pay the piper after an entire semester of slacking. Somehow it seems like a fair trade-off: I work my buns off for two weeks so I can enjoy a semester of late-night taco runs and pick-up soccer games. Actually, I think those two things negate each other, but they’re great memories all the same.

But enough about exams, let’s focus on the holidays. Though I sometimes fancy myself a curmudgeon of sorts, immune to sappy sentimentality and Hallmark moments, I’m a sucker for Christmas.

I still try to convince my parents to let me put up those big, tacky, multi-colored Christmas lights on our house. Their response is always no, and with good reason; they know that high ladders, live electricity and Chris Schaeffer don’t mix.

There are a few Christmas traditions that I make sure I take part in before Dec. 25. I must go ice skating at Steinberg Rink in Forest Park, preferably when it’s near-freezing outside. If you haven’t been to this outdoor rink yet, it’s like a little time capsule, complete with a fire pit, hot chocolate and festive music.

I also try to watch White Christmas at least once a season, if for no other reason than to do my Bing Crosby impersonation.

Well, that’s enough from me. Heck, I still have exams to study for. So enjoy this special holiday section and happy holidays from your friends at The University News.