Like most winter nights it had already been dark for hours when I arrived shortly before 6 p.m. in the Easton’s Beach parking lot. The night was windy and cold, the last nor’easter had melted away and the hint of the next one was already in the air. The last thing I would ever expect to be doing is hiking, but that’s exactly where I found myself last Wednesday night.

The tags cry, “Be an Angel,” as does the homemade sign next to the tree, the red angel bear on the tag inviting donors. On the reverse side, a name is printed with a wish list of the only toys the child will get this year if picked. These tags mean only one thing: The Salvation Army Angel Giving Tree Project has returned to Salve Regina University.

As the end of the semester is nearing, thoughts of papers, final exams, winter break and the fact that time is running out to boost final grades fill the minds of students at Salve Regina University. To release these stresses, students head to the workout facility of Rodgers Recreation Center, an excellent place to rid the body and mind of the everyday tension in their lives.

Sunday, December 14, marked final exam day for Salve’s directing students as they presented a scene from a play of choice to a kind yet rigid audience of teachers, family members and friends.

Collectively these six students put together a production of six scenes from six completely different works. They dedicated their production to their hard-working and dedicated teacher, Dr. Shirley Girard.

While the fall semester draws to a close, seniors are busy with finals and contemplating where their future as graduates may lead them. How many seniors can say, though, that they’ve already signed a contract sealing part of their fate for the next four years?

Seniors in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) like Cadet Capt. Danielle Dippolino can be sure, since she has already signed a contract with the U.S. Army.