Well, the semester is nearly over. Soon, students will camp out the library and Busch Student Center well past the witching hour, studying for finals, and we will board planes, trains and automobiles and head toward home.

But before you settle into the hectic monotony of the holiday season, let’s take a moment to remember five history-making events you witnessed during the fall of 2006.

5. Wacky weather and two major power outages: Although we haven’t yet experienced a Day After Tomorrow-style climate catastrophy, St. Louis residents and Ameren Electric employees know about fickle weather first hand. August’s thunderstorms and Thursday night’s ice storm provided a turbulent first act and final scene for the fall semester.

4. Major MetroLink expansion: Hurrah for public transport! Ok, so we don’t have free MetroPasses like our neighbors at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Missouri, St. Louis. And, granted, our local Metro station is located under a bridge between railroad tracks and a propane lot. But, health hazards aside, we can get to Forest Park in six minutes and Shrewsbury in half an hour without shelling out cash at the gas station.

3. St. Louis’ Most Dangerous U.S. City ranking: As Facebook groups proclaim, we are proud to attend college in the heart of the nation’s most dangerous city. Where else can students learn to properly operate a rape whistle and avoid alleys behind gas stations, all to the music of continuous police sirens?

2. Democrats control the House and Senate: For the first time in 12 years, Democrats control both the House and the Senate. No matter your politics, this move makes things difficult for the Bush administration. We think we hear the president quacking.

1. St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series win: What could beat the excitement of following the Cardinals’ ascent from complete mediocrity to world champion status? Nothing. Enough said.

So enjoy the eggnog, the brown paper packages and the snowflakes sure to fall on your nose and eyelashes, and save this one for the grandkids.