SOLAR FLARE | All I Want for Christmas is…

The countdown is on. Adrenaline courses through your veins as we barrel toward the final stretch, and yes, finals. You probably curated a detailed playlist for your Thanksgiving break commutes, but now a new one is needed as the grind resumes. Something has to stop the days from blurring together as you guzzle Celsius and grapple with the reality of 4:30 p.m. sunsets. Just a few more weeks, and you’ll be free — at least from the grips of seasonal depression (for now).

HATER FRIDAY | Premature Christmas Festivities

On Sunday, Nov. 2, the cool morning air greeted me as I began walking to meet my friends for brunch at North Star Dining Hall. Though I was disappointed that Halloween had come and gone so quickly, I looked forward to celebrating Thanksgiving and appreciating the remaining fall foliage that would soon vanish. Seemingly on cue, two students passed me loudly singing along to “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande. I stifled a sigh, and eventually escaped the assault on my senses.

PONTIN | Here We Come A-Caroling

Holiday music seems like the perfect place to start; Christmas caroling is a tradition that has been largely foregone in the name of mass-produced, chart-topping radio hits. These days, finding anything other than an Amazon package at your doorstep is typically an unwelcome sight — salespeople seeking to rope you into a knife-selling pyramid scheme, religious zealots looking to share their views on salvation or flyers from a local political representative urging their stance on the education budget.