Cheer up everyone. The groundhog saw his shadow! Oh wait, does that mean more winter? Never mind.
If you’re like most people in Rochester, the long cold days have gotten you down. It’s hard to shake that “blah” feeling when you’re never warm. Lack of fresh air and sunshine will do that to a person. Even worse is when you try to venture outside; a blast of frigid air is guaranteed to meet you.
We all know the routine: long hours spent in Rush Rhees, afraid to venture outside long enough to return to one’s dorm between classes. Staying in the tunnels as much as possible, afraid to venture above ground for even a moment.
Social life in the winter deserves mention because it doesn’t exist. Most of us are too afraid to put on a tank top and embark on a journey to a party because even if you do, chances are no one else was as brave.
Meeting a potential date this time of year is close to impossible. The pure lack of people at parties is enough to ruin any chance of meeting someone interesting. Even for those rare times when you do meet someone interesting, the thought of going outside into the cold just kills the mood.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. It will get warm again, I promise. If you’re a freshman from out of town it may seem hard to believe, but one day you will see sunshine again.
For the next few months, try to look on the bright side. This is the perfect weather to cuddle with a special someone. Or, if you don’t have a special someone, your roommate will do just fine. There’s no better excuse than being really cold to throw your arm around that person you’ve been hanging around since the fall.
Being stuck inside has its perks. Light some candles (just make sure your RA doesn’t find out), put on some soft music, and you have a romantic evening in with your boyfriend or girlfriend. We may not live in five-star accommodations but with a little creativity we can make do.
Traying down the hill outside of Danforth is always a fun wintertime activity – you could even make a cute date out of it. Playing in the snow is a fun way to flirt with the object of your desire, which can end with a trip inside for some steamy… hot chocolate.
A spontaneous snowball fight is always a good way to cheer up your day and bond with your special someone. You could even do something really crazy like make a snow-angel or build a snowman to cheer up our campus. Maybe write your crush a message in the snow outside of their dorm room – just make sure they would appreciate the gesture before doing it.
Sure we’re the butt of countless jokes about the snow in Central New York. Sure it’s colder here than Alaska about half the time, but we should all try to make to most of winter in Rochester.
Myers is a member of the class of 2009.
