Since I grew up in Florida and have spent most of my time in quarantine there, I did not fully understand how strongly the weather can impact our ability to socialize during the pandemic. At home, I was able to work out when I chose, go on walks when I felt cooped up or stressed, and do socially distant, outdoor activities with my friends. Sometimes we would sit six feet apart and eat dinner on my patio, go on distant walks, or even sit on the beach and tan while maintaining a safe distance.
As I quickly discovered upon returning to campus after the break, many of these opportunities for socializing are impossible given the cold weather. Once it became colder in the fall, my team was unable to safely gather for team dinners on Paresky lawn or complete other outdoor group activities. We had to become much more creative with the way we interacted with one another, and unfortunately that resulted in seeing each other less and less.
Now that winter is coming to an end and the warmer months are (hopefully) approaching, I wanted to put together a list of fun, outdoor, socially distant activities on campus that I am looking forward to as these chilly days are coming to a close.
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Go on a walk or hike
I really took for granted the ability to get out of the house and comfortably go on a walk during quarantine. Some of my favorite places to walk on and around campus are Stone Hill and the trails behind the Clark, around Sandy Beach (an area on Hoosic River behind Cole Field), Blair Road, and Gale Road. Also, the Williams Outing Club (WOC) offers transportation on specific days to hiking trails in the area, such as Pine Cobble.
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Eat meals with friends
Warmer weather allows people to meet outside more comfortably, which allows for larger group gatherings. We will now be able to sit on Paresky Lawn, Sawyer quad, and outside our dorms to share meals with friends. Since I live off campus and am not on the meal plan, and also cannot enter my friends’ dorms, the only option I have had to share meals with people outside my pod during the winter months is to meet indoors on Spring Street. This is both costly and crowded, so I am looking forward to having other options.
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Do homework or read outdoors
While it is necessary for safety, it is slightly bothersome to always wear a mask in the library. With warmer weather, students can sit outside their dorms and read or do homework more comfortably than in the library. They can also collaborate with friends on homework more easily outdoors. Some of my favorite outdoor spots to do homework are The Clark, Sawyer quad, science quad, and random picnic tables outside dorms.
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Exercise
Perhaps what I am most excited about is the ability to exercise outdoors. As an athlete, I am lucky to have access to the weight tent and Lassell Gynmaisum for practices and lifts. However, even I find myself wanting to workout or stretch my legs on the days I don’t have lift or practice, so I am sure non-athletes feel this even more strongly. On days that I wanted to workout before indoor options were available to athletes, the only choice I had was YouTube workouts that I could do in my room. I am excited to be able to go on runs and complete other types of workouts outdoors.
Hopefully reading this article made you a little more excited for spring!