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Classes are out for Fall semester, and students in the Music Composition for the Screen program, who won’t be starting them up again until the end of January. The classes in the winter (J-term) are not required, and it gives us some much needed time to rest and get ready to hit it hard in spring semester.

For the class of 2014, winter semester is also our final semester here in Chicago. It is an exciting 12 weeks including some recording sessions at CRC, internship prep, and the sheer joy of writing music with the knowledge and experience of the past year and a half.

So what do people do during J-term? For starters, we get to enjoy the holidays. Many go home around Christmas/New Years and some will stay with family until the spring semester begins again. Some stay here and work on projects that they have been meaning to get to when they had the time. One student got married. Another is traveling the world on his way back home to Paris. However you slice it, it is a great time of the year.

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The Holidays were great for my family and me. We stayed here for Christmas and New Years and have enjoyed spending time with friends. One of the great attractions of Chicago in the winter time is the Christkindlmarket. The food is delicious and you can buy all kinds of handmade items. It’s free to get in and you’ll get good reviews from anyone who has been there.

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For Thanksgiving, we traveled the five hours to my in-laws. We had a great time and the food was excellent. We really have a lot to be grateful for, and this time of year it’s wonderful to think about the new year and where we will be when December rolls around again. With the change of the new year, I’m also happy to pass the ambassadorship off to Logan Stahley. He will do a great job, so look forward to some great posts from him while following his journey through the program!