Hi everybody! Carly Patent, here, reporting live from the University of Delaware campus right here in Newark. As anyone who has left their dorm in the past couple weeks knows, we’ve been having some crazy weather lately, and word on the street is that it’s only going to get crazier. From sunny days in the high seventies to flurries in the mid-teens, I’ve got your winter weather report so that you’ll never have to worry again about when to rock the snow boots and when to break out the flip flops—stay tuned!
Coming back after winter break, myself and many other students expected long days trudging around in the cold, bundled up in a slew of winter-related accessories—chunky sweaters, pom-pom hats, knitted scarves, fur-lined boots, and tech-fingered gloves, just to name a few. The bitter cold would make cutting through Perkins on the way to Caesar Rodney a necessity. It would mean that layers were always in effect. It made leaving anywhere without a puffy jacket an act that only a daredevil would pursue. We expected some decent snows that would blanket campus. It would be picture-perfect: the snow sparkling as the sun just barely shone, some paths of footprints embedded into the ground from our human and canine companions, the brick buildings dusted in white powder. Maybe, we thought, we’d even be lucky enough to have a snow day sprinkled in here or there, giving us a chance to build a snowman or curl up, watch a movie, and drink hot chocolate—complete with tons of mini-marshmallows, of course!
Yet, thus far, we have only been lucky enough to have two minor snows—if they even deserve the status of that title. The first “notable” one took place on Thursday, February 9, when the University cancelled all classes that took place before 11:00 in the morning. While I was appreciative of the extra time to sleep, I just wish that I could have somehow contacted Mother Nature and asked her to maybe hold off her snow until I actually needed a delay. The snow, meanwhile, was not the storm of several inches (maybe feet) that we had anticipated. It was a light dusting that melted within an hour or so and was not even enough to scoop up, mold into a snowball, and throw at a friend. Scientifically speaking, though, I think that I can dedicate this lack of snow to a few notable sources: we didn’t wear our pajamas inside out, we didn’t put spoons under our pillows, we didn’t yell “SNOW DAY” into the freezer, and we didn’t put ice cubes in the toilet—notable superstitions that we must keep in mind for next time. The second “snow” of the semester occurred just recently on a Friday afternoon. And the snow barely accumulated, giving us no hope of making snow angels and igloos in it. But the flurries falling from the sky did make for some snow globe-like scenery!
Well, here in Delaware, it is obvious that our weather expectations most certainly do not match our weather reality. I’m sure that no one expected to have a full weekend of temperatures that barely went below 65 degrees. But, fortunately enough, that’s what we were given! One easy way to tell that either the weather is nice or that people are not too stressed is when the turf right outside of Harrington is populated with the vast majority of the University’s freshman who live on that side of campus. That weekend, people truly did come out of hibernation. Forget winter gear; sunglasses, baseball hats, tank tops, flip flops, and shorts emerged from buried deep within our closets. A wide array of activities took place ranging from the typical Frisbees and footballs to more modern pastimes such as Kan Jam and Spikeball. People spread out their tapestries and beach towels and soaked up the sun—I must confess that I quite literally did attempt to get a nice tan. I often found myself asking, “Is it really February?” as I contemplated putting on sun screen. There were tons of tours that weekend, and personally, I think that seeing the turf packed with people relaxing and having fun would have sold me on the school immediately. Additionally, the cherry blossoms that just recently sprouted up over campus perfumed the sidewalks and made for some really great photos. I can safely say that that weekend truly was one of my favorite weekends all semester—but then again, we have only been back for a little over a month so it may be too early to say. Anyway, spending basically the entire weekend outside was a great change of scenery. It was evident that the much-appreciated sun brought everyone together and made for a quite radiant weekend!
As a self-proclaimed “weather girl,” I look forward to seeing what else Mother Nature has in store for us this semester. Whether it’s snow days or sun rays, being at college, we truly do take the chance to enjoy each and every moment. I think that this is crucial towards making the most of every experience. While it can be disappointing to wear shorts one day and then have to resort back to fleece-lined sweatpants the next day, it makes those nice days even more special and in fact makes you appreciate them even more. So, as we enter into the month of March—what I like to consider the transition month from a wintry February to a lively April—try to remember that the snowflakes may melt, the leaves may fall, the flowers may stop blooming, and the sunshine may turn cloudy, but the memories made in those times are always weatherproof!
This is Carly Patent, signing off.
*Note from the editors: this post was written and submitted a week before the blizzard on March 14.*
