By Matthew Kondrat, News Editor
Though the groundhog did not see its shadow, the unpredictable winter weather common in this area means many students from warmer states might experience their first real winter, and will quickly learn that while snow looks beautiful on a postcard, it’s less beautiful walking uphill through it on the way to class.
Here are a few tips to keep students warm and toasty.
1. Wear layers.
Wearing layers seems pretty obvious, but wearing several light, warm layers is a major key to keeping warm on the way to class. The layers help to keep the wind out and heat in. Wearing lighter layers is better than thicker layers because it looks less like an abominable snowman and doesn’t cause overheating. Sweating is a problem because the sweat can freeze, which makes the body even colder.
2. Use the shuttle to go to class or walk slowly.
Riding on the shuttle is a great way to cruise in comfort on the way to class. Although it’s a bit slower, it’s also much warmer than walking on those slippery stairs. It’s also a great time to read the 20 pages of homework you didn’t do last night. For those walking to class, make sure to bundle up – frozen hands can’t take notes. For those who enjoy the feeling of freezing air to wake up with in the morning, walk slightly slower than normal. Walking slowly prevents slipping on ice and prevents sweating. While Bellarmine Facilities and Campus Services do a great job of de-icing the campus even during snow days, wandering off the beaten path may cause an impromptu ice skating session.
3. Cover up the windows.
Drafts, which allow cold air to enter your cozy dorm room, can be found near windows. Feeling the window will help to find where the air is entering. Try to cover any gaps with clothes or a blanket. Covering up the windows will help block the cold wind in the dorm room.
4. Drive slowly.
This one should be even more obvious than wearing layers, yet this is one tip far too many people, students and others, fail to follow. Roads can become icy quickly or can be covered in black ice, which is so clear it’s nearly invisible on roads. Driving slowly helps minimize these dangers, even though others may honk at you as they zoom by.
5. If something in the residence halls goes wrong, talk to a Residence Assistant (RA) or contact ResLife at 502-272-7272
If a heater breaks, or another such cataclysmic event happens, talk to an RA and tell them about it. They’ll help to make sure it gets fixed so no one ends up sleeping in an icebox with a bed.
6. Make sure your shoes are waterproof.
Nothing ruins a day like having soggy socks and no time to change because classes are back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Make sure to dry out the socks and try to get the water out of the shoes by taking out the insole and placing some newspaper inside. The Concord has many uses.
7. Go to Twitter to beg for a snow day.
If more snow starts falling, and all seems white and wet, try going to Twitter and desperately tweeting Bellarmine’s official Twitter account, @bellarmineU, to try to convince them to give a snow day. Sure, it probably won’t work, but it can’t hurt, right?