Mariah Carey Isn't Saving Us
Graphic by Sophie Davis
In the fall semester, when the air is sharp and the skies transition into their permanent winter grey, there is a way to cope and avoid the dreadful seasonal depression through holiday spirit. For those who celebrate and for those that do not, there is something in the air during the holiday season and small joys like lights and song. In November, my roommates and I watched a Christmas movie every night. I blasted seasonal music during every icy walk across campus. Even when I couldn’t feel my nose and my eyes burned from wind chill, I could pretend I was the main character in a Hallmark movie, bravely navigating winter with a scarf and a destiny.
January provides no such comfort.
Returning to the snowiest city in America, January’s new year new me attitude rapidly depletes with the replenished to-do list of assignments. I’ve found Mariah Carey can no longer save me from the cold. The music stops. The decorations are gone. And somehow, despite just returning from a holiday break, the cold is indeed bothering me anyway. Mariah Carey cannot save me, so what can I do to get me through the season? How do I touch grass when it’s covered in snow? Do I hold an ice cube on the quad? Do I fall in line with the iced coffee drinkers crossing in front of Schine with frostbitten fingers?
In the absence of holiday spirit, here is a list of free or low-cost campus activities I’ve turned to in order to survive – maybe dare i say enjoy -- this cold spring semester:
Make a goddamn snow angel.
When there’s this much powder on the ground, why aren’t we constantly making snow angels? On the walk home after class. After dinner. After going out. It’s a no-hassle classic, especially if you’re already five minutes away from changing into sweatpants anyway.
Watch the snow
As heavy and brutal as the weather may be, you have to admit: it’s beautiful. Sometimes the best way to survive winter is to observe it from a safe, warm distance. Ideal viewing spots include Eggers Cafe, the second floor of Schine, the Newhouse bridge, and the fourth floor of Link Hall. Studying is easier when it feels cinematic.
Sledding
You know her. You love her. She’s a classic. A canon Syracuse experience. No explanation needed.
Wear a scarf (genuinely)
After growing up in California, I was convinced that dressing for the cold was embarrassing because the cold was only 40 degrees. God forbid I wear a coat. A scarf? A beanie? Absolutely not. But I’ve recently surrendered and have discovered school is genuinely easier, and life is significantly less miserable, when you can feel your fingers and aren’t slipping on ice every six steps.
Take advantage of outdoor adventure experiences
The Barnes Center at the Arch offers outdoor adventure opportunities all winter long, including snowshoe hikes, cross-country skiing programs, Nordic skiing at Drumlins or Osceola, a two-week “learn to cross-country ski” program, ice skating at the Pavilion (including Otto on Ice), and even discounted snowboarding and skiing trips throughout the season. No experience required—just a willingness to lean into winter instead of fighting it.
Winter here isn’t going anywhere. The snow will keep falling, the wind will keep biting, and the grass will remain a distant memory. But if we can’t escape it, we might as well romanticize it—one snow angel, sled run and properly insulated outfit at a time.