Tag: Winter

TBT: “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Hannah Tattersall

November 22, 2022 / / Comments Off on TBT: “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Hannah Tattersall

As we all relax during our break, we here at 186 South College are doing a Throwback Thanksgiving! Please enjoy this post by Hannah Tattersall from 2013 about the anticipation for the upcoming wintery holiday season, and how we should celebrate what gives us joy. (Image Courtesy of UD’s Facebook page)

It seems like just yesterday I moved into my new room in James Smith in my JCrew shorts and tank, basking in the beauty of the blasting air conditioner, a far cry from move-in day in Russell freshman year.  Fast-forward a few months and instead of my AC in the 60s, the temperature outside has far surpassed that and now resides in the 40s and 50s on a regular basis.  There is even snow in Newark’s forecast this week!  In addition, previews for Disney’s new animated feature Frozen are popping up all over my TV, while peppermint hot chocolate is now available at the Starbucks in Smith, and twinkle lights are starting to be strung around Main Street. You know what this means… the holidays are upon us!  And if you are anything like me, you could not be more excited; it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Granted, Halloween was only 13 days ago, and we have yet to celebrate Thanksgiving.  However, I can’t help myself; I just want it to be the holidays already! It is such a magical time of the year. I swear the general public is a lot happier during the season. How could it not be? The holidays encourage us to show love and give thanks for all of the people in our lives and to showcase our ideals and beliefs. Plus, we get to eat lots of cookies and watch movies where there is always a happy ending, which is why I love watching them so much! Either the two leads fall in love and kiss under the mistletoe, or the Grinch-like characters start to believe in the spirit of the holidays. Regardless, they are such feel-good movies, just like the entire season itself.

However, I have found that while some people (myself included), are beyond excited for the holiday season, there are some people getting frustrated that the holidays are creeping up on us, just like those Grinch characters in some of those beloved movies. My Twitter feed is a jumble of confusion! Some of my followers embrace the spirit, through watching the Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” or listening to their favorite carols, while some have even put up their trees! Yet, there are those few Scrooges that say it is too early for such antics and that people should not start celebrating until after Thanksgiving. They are almost offended and extremely angry that people are in the holiday spirit! How can anyone be angry that it is almost the holidays?!

To those people that say it is too early to be celebrating: why do you care so much?  So what if people get excited for this time of the year and want to rush it as soon as possible? The holidays provide a sense of hope for people to believe that regardless of what may seem impossible, everything will be okay in the end.  So, as one of my followers, Carrie Kirk, said on Twitter, “If it makes you happy, begin to celebrate whenever you want,” (@kirk_carrie).  Tis the season, Blue Hens!

~Hannah Tattersall

“Winter Recollections and Springing Forward” by Abigail McGraw

March 23, 2021 / / Comments Off on “Winter Recollections and Springing Forward” by Abigail McGraw

Picture this: you’re sitting in your ENGL 110 class listening to Mr. Peters explain Flat Earth conspiracy theories when your eyes catch sight of a white speck through the window. And then you realize–SNOW!! IT SNOWS IN DELAWARE!!

This may seem a bit dramatic, but I have seen more snow in the first two weeks on campus than I’ve seen in the last two years in Virginia Beach. I’ve always loved the snow and have always been deprived of it. Hallmark movies have been taunting me with the thought of snow on Christmas while it was warm enough to go swimming at the beach during the holidays. I love everything about snow; the way it falls so softly and makes the world go quiet; the way it reflects the streetlights and makes the cloudy skies glow with warm orange light; and most of all, I love the sound it makes when it crunches under my feet. Continue reading

“Transitioning to a Spring Semester Mindset” by Abigail McGraw

February 25, 2021 / / Comments Off on “Transitioning to a Spring Semester Mindset” by Abigail McGraw

Winter break was a time of relaxation and relief from a tough fall semester. While we couldn’t travel and see family for the holidays, my family and I still made the most of our time off. I continued to work with the First-Year Fellows, and we organized some amazing programs over the winter to stay engaged with the Honors community while on break. I also participated in the E-52 virtual production of Check Please! directed by Heidi Fliegelman and Christine Marchesano. 

But if you’re anything like me, you probably spent most of the winter break sleeping in, playing with pets, and living a mostly unstructured life. I didn’t take any winter courses, which left me no choice but to play Animal Crossing and nap on the couch with my dog. Suffice to say, I haven’t exactly been disciplined in keeping a routine as of late, which was slightly problematic as the Spring semester rapidly approached. Continue reading

“A Win for Winter!” by Jenny Gloyd

March 17, 2020 / / Comments Off on “A Win for Winter!” by Jenny Gloyd

This winter, I was fortunate enough to be part of undergraduate research on campus. I learned new laboratory techniques and experienced some new chemistry first hand. I also found out that I really enjoy what winter at the University of Delaware has to offer, and I thought I would share some of my thoughts here. 

First, it was an entirely different feeling from fall and spring semesters at UD. The whole campus was much quieter, and most buildings and restaurants around campus had reduced hours. It was a good change of pace, there were less people walking across the green, and shorter lines at places such as Einstein’s Bagels — which I frequented over the winter session. Places that were normally noisy became quiet study spots and the reduced hours for many buildings forced me to be efficient with my time, and to stay organized. I also took advantage of the lack of crowds to start going to the Little Bob more often. I developed a gym routine I liked, and made a habit of going by the time spring semester started. 

Second, really focusing on one task was a very valuable experience in my opinion. I was able to put all of my effort into research this winter, without also having to juggle multiple classes. It turned into a morning routine to sit down with a coffee and read from chemistry journals, something I had told myself I was going to do, but never could find the time for until this winter. I learned about the type of chemistry I was involved in, and what my research group was working on, as well as reminding myself of the basics. I understand now why people sit down with a coffee and a newspaper in the morning; it was very peaceful and I felt like I accomplished something before the day even started. On top of that, when spring semester rolled around, I had already been able to dedicate the time to understand the research I was doing, and to learn new laboratory techniques important to the project. I am now more confident in the lab, and it has allowed me to accomplish more this semester despite splitting my time between classes and research. 

I also would recommend, if you stay for the winter, to use it as an opportunity to work within your future field. I have already mentioned that I have learned an insane amount of chemistry over these past weeks, but I also was able to learn what it is like to work in an academic lab. I am one of the only undergraduates in my lab, and so I am mostly working with professionals. It was very valuable to see how others with more experience were able to collaborate and problem solve. I learned how best to communicate my ideas, and to ask questions. I saw how others in the lab communicated their ideas in our weekly meetings, and it inspired me to be a good and informative scientist.

Winter at UD is very worthwhile to gain a different perspective on campus and to dedicate your time to something you care about. I hope this encourages others to seek out more opportunities on campus outside of the fall and spring semesters.

Cold, Cold, and Still Cold by Liv Conlon

April 10, 2018 / / Comments Off on Cold, Cold, and Still Cold by Liv Conlon

So why the heck is it STILL so cold out? We are just a week after spring break, and in the closing moments of March and beginning of April where, by all means, we should be shipping home the winter gear and opting for lighter jackets and short sleeves. Yet, a good portion of this week has been plagued with yet another snow storm.  Questions about our troubling weather patterns are being asked all around, and the New York Times attempts to give some insight as to what exactly is happening here in an article published earlier this winter, “Why So Cold? Climate Change May Be Part of the Answer”.

Not surprisingly, global warming has a lot to do with this global phenomenon.  The polar vortex, a frigid weather pattern normally isolated at the North Pole, has broken free and leaked out across the US, causing record breaking periods of cold temperature.  

While meteorologists can’t pinpoint the exact reasoning and process behind what makes this vortex move, climate change is a key factor in its displacement. The jet stream which keeps this vortex moving in a circle around the north point of the globe is weakening as global warming heats the rest of the world up. The weaker pull is probably the cause of movement, among other factors that influence day to day weather.

Hopefully the cold makes its way out in the next few weeks because, and I don’t know about you guys but, I am so over this campus doubling as an ice rink.  Fingers crossed for a few nicer days this week!

 

Source

 

Fountain, Henry. “Why So Cold? Climate Change May Be Part of the Answer.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/climate/cold-climate-change.html.

 

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