Christmas break began, and the Bethel campus is very quiet. The last few days before break are always very hectic, full of studying for Finals, primping for Gala, performing the last concerts of the year, and finally, packing up and moving out. Gala and everything associated with it was a ton of fun. If you want to read more about it, the other bloggers did a fantastic job of covering it. Finals week is always fun in that high-stress sort of way. You’re amped up on so much caffeine and you stay up to obscene hours of the night; you don’t even have to start studying until at least Tuesday morning, because there are no Finals on Monday! This is the time of year when everyone seems to have lots of food to give away. We’re coming off of Gala, where they stuffed us with fantastic food, and parents begin to drop off cookies and Christmas treats for their kids. There’s a tradition called Lighting of the Green, where we wait until dark, gather around and light candles to symbolize the Biblical “Light in the Darkness”. Afterward there are two tables full of snacks for us. The Mods host nightly coffee and snacks, with a rotating schedule of awesome things after 10 PM. The Bethel College Parents Association sets up a huge table full of snacks and gives away gifts to every student at Bethel. The weekend before Finals plays host to Senior Recitals and snacks afterward to commemorate the fantastic musicianship. Finally, even though you’re stressed out about the tests that you have to take, you usually have a fantastic time hanging around Bethel during Finals Week.