LYDIA TURCIOS
Special to The Leader
So, you’ve been on Fredonia campus for a while now and you still look like a newborn foal when there’s ice on the ground?
Same.
Whether you are a freshman or a senior still playing slip and slide on the sidewalks, here’s some tips on how to survive Fredonia’s classic winters.
- Spikes. Maybe not everyone needs this, but we all know the salt is reserved for the roads only. Whoa to the pedestrian trying to get to class or trying to find their dinner. Ice grips that attach to your shoe might save you from swan diving directly into traffic.
- Stock up! If you need to go on a Walmart run, best to beat that snowstorm. No one wants to trudge through knee deep snow with provisions, so err on the side of caution and go a day or two ahead of the storm. Don’t risk getting stranded!
- Hand warmers. If you have been in white outs for any length of time, you probably have these on hand. But, if you’re anything like me and coming from a warmer area, you might not have them in bulk or might have missed the memo for way too long. They’re definitely worth it for any strolls to class.
- The entrance to crannies? A literal ice skating rink if you step in the wrong spot, same for the steps to willies. Just go through the side doors or watch your step unless you feel like pirouetting into the door.
- Use the main sidewalks. The closer to the center of campus and the bigger the sidewalk, the more likely it would have been tended to. Even if it’s the long way you’re more likely to avoid the ice and sleet while keeping away from side roads.
- Don’t be afraid to communicate with your teachers. If you’re an off campus student and can’t or don’t feel safe coming in, be open about that. Most professors are not going to insist you go sledding in your car just to get to their course.
Do a lot of these seem obvious? They are once you have been here long enough, but what with the amount of freshman spending their first year telecommuting and how easy it is to overlook the obvious amidst the rest of your basic day to day.
Oh, last point: complain. Nothing makes a group of college students bond faster than a mutual annoyance. Trust me, I’ve done it.