Not until Christmas

As I sit here in the good old Harold B. Lee Library studying like the studious girl I purport to be I am saddened by one thing. In front of me sit four various books on the history, culture and people of Ancient Rome. This is a fascinating subject aided by a wildly entertaining professor however the syllabus contains oppressive reading assignments that will most likely take me three to four hours to complete, not to add I have this class three times a week. Add to that four Art History classes. Now I know some of you out there think that all we do is look at pretty pictures all day long. There is a grain of truth to this perception. For in most classes the lights go out and images appear one after the other sometimes two at a time...wahoo. Along with art of multiple mediums there are two other things that comprise our work as art historians. They are one incessantly writing research papers and two reading. It is to be expected that with each art history class there will be a couple hours of reading a night.

I am not so naive to think that mine is the only major that requires this heavy reading load. As college students a lot of what we do is read and research. What I am complaining about is that this never ending list of reading assignments mean I don't have time for leisurely reading. If I were to pick up a book other than one purchased in our beloved perfectly priced bookstore I would feel guilty reading it.

Next to my bed I have four books that I have ready varying amounts of: Sense and Sensibility, The Life and Evil Times of Nicolae Ceausecu, However Long and Hard the Road, and Idi Amin. They call my name every night whilst I am struggling through Plutarch and Cicero. Last night I briefly transformed into a bit of a recluse as I locked myself in my room and read some Jane Austen until I fell asleep. Becoming a hermit is unfortunately not a healthy option here. I am doomed to await the Christmas vacation and hope that it arrives with speed to set me free from the restrictive bonds of textbooks. At that time I can once again enjoy leisurely reading.