Holiday cheer, eggnog and sniffling noses are all essential parts of a merry holiday season in the Midwest. But, as the last two weeks of the semester are upon us, noses are not the only thing which will be running.

By the evening of Dec. 11, the tree-lined campus of NIU will be abandoned by students escaping for a retreat from the doldrums of the end of the semester.

Professors, too, await the coming of the much needed holiday haitus for many of the same reasons students do.

Charles Larson, professor of communication studies, is one of the many faculty members who will be working on texts and research over the break.

Larson said he is using the five week time period to work on the seventh edition of his text.

In addition, he has his sights set on recreational activity over the holiday. “I would like to get in some pheasant hunting,” Larson said.

He also commented he will be going to Minnesota to share the holiday with family members.

Larson is not the only professor who mentioned travelling to see family this merry season.

Shirley Serini, professor of journalism, said she will be going home to New York for a week to see her family.

While in the Big Apple, Serini said she hopes to spend a day in the city, and wants to see a Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall.

Some teachers like David Mason, professor of health education, will be throwing a Christmas party for many family members and friends.

He said he is looking forward to seeing his mother-in-law who will be coming in for the holidays from Florida.

“I will be blessed having my family with me,” Mason said.

Although some teachers seemingly have definite plans for the holidays, others do not.

When asked what he plans to do over the break, Jack King, professor of sociology, said, “That’s a good question.”

King said he plans to buckle down and work on his dissertation, and will be heading to northern Wisconsin to ensure he gets some work done on it.

“That is what I am supposed to be doing,” he joked.

The plans NIU students and faculty may have for over winter intermission may be further enriched by the notion we will be having five weeks off, rather than four. Happy Holidays!

The plans NIU students and faculty may have for over winter intermission may be further enriched by the notion we will be having five weeks off, rather than four. Happy Holidays!