Kettle Corn, Finals, and The Dreaded White Glove

I'm once again sitting at a table at the infamous Jazzman's Cafe in the computer lab. I'm marveling at the stark contrast I'm witnessing now compared to the first day of class. The once eager freshman has been burnt out by the papers and the projects that seem to creep into the syllabus near the end of each semester. The seniors are walking around with coffee in hand trying not to stress too much as they near the end of their college careers. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard "D means degree" this week...

The smell is completely different, too. The first day of class is usually perfume and cologne saturated. Now it's more of a pungent "I haven't done my laundry all week because of all these stupid assignments" kind of smell. This is mixed with the free kettle corn that Jerry Jr. has so kindly handed out as a finals gift to us. Is it weird that when it's not finals week, whenever I smell kettle corn, I feel anxiety? I like spring semester's free ice cream policy better. I don't know if I just enjoy searching for the ice cream trucks or if I legitimately like ice cream sandwiched between two pieces of chocolate flavored cardboard.

Finals week is always weird to me. It's strange brew of emotion between stress, relief, and excitement. The stress compounds as projects are due and finals are happening, but the relief of finishing it all is always poking its head out around the corner. The excitement seems to build as each final passes because you're just one less final away from home. The worst thing about finals week at LU though, is white glove check out.

For my friends who don't attend Liberty, we have to clean our rooms for a "white glove inspection" at the end of each semester. This can be more stressful than finals depending on what you've accumulated over the semester. I wish that our dorms came with a drain in the middle of the room so I could just take a pressure hose to the walls and be done with it. But no... white glove makes you clean places you didn't even know existed. Behind the light fixtures in your bathroom, on top of your shower curtain rod, under the window sill... these are all places that apparently will start growing alien fungus if you don't clean it before white glove check out. I'm always surprised at where my RA's can find dirt. Maybe I'll appeal to Liberty housing for the whole drain feature in the dorms...

Semester 5 is almost done... it's going to take all that I've got to not just stop caring. I pray that we can find strength in the Lord these last few days of exams. Run in a way to win the prize.

Have a great Christmas break!