Photo courtesy of Melissa Rechin / Photo Editor
MAGGIE GILROY AND SYLVANA DUSSAN
Reverb Editor and Editor in Chief
It’s becoming clear that even though there was a glimpse of warm weather (and by warm we mean 40 degrees) this past weekend, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel that is this long and cold winter. Everybody is coping the best they can. Even though many of us are trying hard to pretend like this winter is not affecting us and we are not crying about how the wind hurts our faces, the signs that this winter season has been rough are sadly there.
1.) You find yourself shopping for knee pads and shin guards after constantly falling on the icy sidewalks and roads. But, no matter how thick your armor is, nothing can protect your bruised ego from falling (of course) right in front of your ex-boyfriend’s house or losing your phone in a snow bank. You know winter has been horrible when you realize it not only has affected you physically, but now emotionally as well. Thanks winter, we are now perpetually paranoid of who will be watching when our shoes fail to keep us safe on the ground.
2.) You have sprained your index finger after constantly hitting refresh on your Fred mail account, dreaming of the day that class is cancelled. At least you can tackle that long reading knowing that curling up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate is much more tolerable than struggling through homework while the sun shines and the echo of fellow students playing frisbee rings through your window cracked open.
3.) The second the thermometer rises above 32 degrees you find yourself over-heating. Just the sight of a ray of sun peaking through the clouds makes you want to grab your shorts and pull out the bikini. It’s 40 degrees? Time to barbeque and open all the windows.
4.) You constantly find yourself walking in circles through the Williams Center desperately searching for a tray to pile your pizza logs on to. You give up this feeble attempt, as you know that all of the trays are lodged in bushes at the bottom of Three Man Hill. If only Walmart sold sleds…
5.) You now know every single way to get across campus without actually having to be outside for more than 5 minutes. Let’s take a tour, shall we? Walk through Thompson, run all the way to the tunnel, stroll across McEwen, duck into Mason, desperately try to avoid the wind and random water leaking through the bridge, wait in the Williams Center while you catch your breath and brave through the weather once again to the parking lot by Dods (because that’s the only place you could find parking). Will this take you at least 10 more minutes than if you had just walked outside? Yes. Will you at least avoid getting frostbite? Hopefully.
6.) You scream every time you look in the mirror thinking it’s Casper the Friendly Ghost. No, it’s just your Vitamin D deprived skin. Even though you cake on the bronzer and opt to wear long pants at the gym, you secretly relish your light skin before it enters the sun’s rays and automatically turns into a tomato.
7.) As each day from your New Year’s resolution passes you find yourself eating more and more doughnuts. If the layers of sweaters, scarves, leggings, sweat pant, earmuffs, hats, gloves and jackets don’t keep you warm, maybe an endless amount of carbs will.
8.) Your heart breaks when even your trustiest of jackets can’t hold up in a Fredonia winter. It looks like it’s time to take up a second job in order to fund the winter gear you need to buy. With each new article of clothing you buy, you find yourself fascinated with the new winter technology “they” dream up. The possibilities are endless – who knew a down parka could be “feather light?”
9.) You need a hazmat suit to protect yourself from the multitude of diseases running rampant through campus. But, unfortunately, no amount of hand sanitizer, Vitamin C or Throat Coat can protect you from the “Fredonia Plague.” But embrace it — it will be harder to find an excuse to skip class when the sun is shining and everyone is in peak condition.
10.) Tea and medicine have become your best friends. Mixing tea with honey and lemon has become a ritual, and you have now mastered the art of knowing exactly what type of medicine you can combine without overdosing and dying. Maybe taking 10 Mucinex a day and popping Tylenol like it’s your job will keep you from feeling like you would rather be run over by a truck.