For my final installment as opinions editor for the Bison, I want to do something special. However, it seems that my summer break attitude has already kicked in, and “special” is the second-to-last word in my vocabulary, almost tying with “study.”

On a more serious note, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time writing for the Bison, and I hope all of you have enjoyed reading. As I wipe away the tear now rolling down my cheek, I hope this final article serves as a bright spot in the inevitable dark weeks following before you’re on summer vacation.

Dead week. What a cruel misnomer this week has been assigned. Why dead week is called such is one of the greatest mysteries on campus. It is rivaled only by what in the world those tiny 1-foot skateboard things are for, and what goes on in that huge structure at the back of the Lee Building. For most students, the “dead” in dead week refers more to the status of their brains than the lack of activities happening on campus. It’s not unheard of for teachers to assign projects, quizzes, homework and even major tests the week before finals. Although it’s technically not allowed, many clubs and organizations are forced to have activities during this week.

Is it called “dead” as foreshadowing for the terrors of finals, or is there something more going on here? At some universities, dead week is literally a week of no on-campus activity in order to prepare for finals. At Harding, why don’t we just call it what it is: normal week. It’s not like anyone comes to college in anticipation of having a full week off of class before finals, so why label something in such a way that gives false hope?

Finals week on a college campus is a dangerous time for anyone foolish enough to wander into our midst. The dorms are like an asylum, where any noise level above a whisper is seen as a personal attack and is punishable by a de-friend or un-follow. People you knew just weeks ago turn into lifeless zombies, glued to their computer screens and books. Some are found aimlessly wandering the hallways, muttering scientific equations or psychological theories under their breath. Some students simply disappear for days on end, nowhere to be found until they surface from underneath a pile of history books, screaming terrible things about the Ottoman Empire.

The only place more unnerving than the dorm during finals week is the library. Early in the morning, students donning a strange combination of pajamas and Einstein-inspired hairstyles stand outside the doors ready to pounce on the first table faster than a crazed soccer mom at a Black Friday sale. After several hours, one can find the library in a state of complete chaos. Students sit at computer desks surrounded by a coffee cup graveyard, frantically typing their name in all caps 500 times in a row. It’s no mystery why Bison Days happen many weeks before the state of turmoil found on campus during this week.

After finals week comes a period of bliss for many Harding students, but for others, intercession courses lie just around the corner. After a few weeks though, the summer comes to restore the minds of those damaged by the weeks prior, and most students fully recover by fall.

For these final two weeks of school, I want to remind all of you not to lose your grip on reality. I have been told several times in life that one can endure anything for one week. Once you do, the endless opportunities of an exciting summer await you, and you will be able to have a human sleep schedule once more.

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