University of Wisconsin-Madison students celebrated Study Day Monday at Blackhawk Evangelical Free Church in Verona, where the congregation opened its doors and hearts to 1,000-plus students in the midst of final exams. They arrived with books, laptops and appetites for free meals, quiet or group study, tutoring, recreational breaks of ping-pong and basketball, Christmas-themed movies and an optional worship service.

"I'm really glad I didn't have an exam today," said Christine Hufton, a sophomore from Barneveld planning to stay from open to close, noon to midnight. "Why leave?"

"First of all, there's the food," she said of the tables laden with sandwich-makings, salads, fresh fruit and vegetables, soups and chili, desserts; with more on the way, including a nacho and baked potato bar and pizzas, all donated by the congregation or Madison-area businesses.

"It's a way to get off campus," added Hufton, who lives in a residence hall, and, like most other participants, arrived via Blackhawk's free bus service.

"It's so cool to be able to worship with 800 other students," she continued, calling the optional 9 p.m. service her favorite part of the event.

While she's a repeat Study Day visitor and a church regular, there were plenty of first-timers such as Brian Laqua, who found out about the event through friends.

Savoring the last of his chicken-wild rice soup, he said he would stay at the church "till I learn everything there is to know about Spanish."

Anna Brzeski, a sophomore from Milwaukee, planned to come and go. In the early afternoon, she studied for that night's statistics exam with three friends, some of whom had skipped breakfast at campus cafeterias but eaten two lunches at the church by 2 p.m.

"You come here and it's so relaxing," Brzeski said. "I have an exam tonight and I should be freaking out."