It’s mid-November and you know what that means- heavy scarves, transitioning from pumpkin spice to peppermint, and *maybe* the first snow of the season. I was born and raised in Northeast Ohio, so the abruptly changing weather is nothing new to me. I’m accustomed to colder temperatures, minimal sunlight, and snow on my birthday (in April). This week we experienced a dusting of snow and it was enough to remind me of the 5 things that always happen at JCU:
Image from Emily Cavanagh
1. Noticeable temperature inconsistencies.
I love John Carroll’s old school architecture. It was one of the first things that attracted me to the school. The downside of having a university that was built 100 years ago is the somewhat inadequate air circulation. I could be sitting in the basement of AD and be absolutely freezing then walk over to O’ Malley and overheat within minutes (or vice versa). While it’s not an issue that I constantly stress over, the abrupt and noticeable temperature changes are just a reality of winter at Carroll.
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2. Walkways are never shoveled and salted for morning classes.
I am less forgiving when it comes to this. I am a commuter student which means I battle 25 minutes through Cleveland’s east side to get to campus. The roads are almost always in bad shape and my drive (both ways) is usually stressful. So, when I exit my car at 8:30 am to haul it to the Lib for some pre-class studying and I find that the parking lots and walkways are ice-covered or buried under inches of snow, I get very frustrated. I could be overreacting or maybe it is just a pet peeve, but catch me mumbling about the sidewalk this winter any day of the week.
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3. It’s Boot Szn, baby.
As someone with extremely large feet, I live for Boot Season. I feel like it is a way for me to mask my size 12 feet in stylish attire. I know most people only have a handful of boots like Uggs or Bean boots, but I have more pairs of boots than I do underwear. I should probably stop investing in boots and start putting money towards a shoe rack so they have somewhere to go. If you are wondering: how does a struggling college student afford so many boots? Thrifting, thrifting, thrifting (and Black Friday shopping). I typically only buy new clothes and shoes on Black Friday (article on 2019 Black Friday in the works). Every other time I need something, I go to my favorite thrift stores or online resellers. If you are curious on how online thrifting works, check out my article on bargain hunting.
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4. The JCU Flu
You don’t have to be a bio major to notice the constant illness that swarms University Heights in the winter months. I am not sure if it’s because there is not as much fresh air circulating the buildings or just a build-up of germs, but the JCU Flu is real. When snow first hits the ground, I immediately douse myself in hand sanitizer and Vitamin C. My go-to is Emergen-C Super Orange or Amazing Grass tablets.
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5. Snow commences a 5 month period of weather-based complaints.
It’s no secret that Northeast Ohio has some very unpredictable and rough weather. If you attend John Carroll then you already know what you are in for. Further, if you live in Cleveland/grew up in the 216, you know what to expect. Complaining about the weather once in a while is fine, but non-stop whining about the snow or rain is just a waste of time. Examples: “ugh, this weather sucks” or “I can’t believe it’ snowing again.”
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As I approach my final winter at John Carroll, I know all of the inevitable occurrences that come with the snow- and I’m so ready for it.