It’s been a couple of chilly days here on Swat’s beautiful campus and there’s only so much time I can spend cooped up in my cozy room before I want to go out and experience the wonderful snow on campus. I’m from California, so I had to get used to the cold here but I recommend you layer up and try to take advantage of this wonderful snow!
- Borrow a Sharples Tray and Go Sledding!
This is a time-honored tradition that’s been around for as long as I’ve been on Swat’s campus, but this is actually the first year I’ve actually done it. As a senior, I felt like I needed to experience the glory and thrill of sledding down on a Sharples tray. Luckily this campus is full of hills that are perfect for sledding! I recommend anywhere near Wharton, the Bell Tower, or McCabe. You may also come across families and their children out and about as well. When the fun is done, simply return the tray on your next trip to Sharples.
- Build a Snowperson!
The OSE actually hosted a Snowperson Contest recently due to the snowstorm that passed through! The theme was to build an intellectual snowperson. You could enter solo or in a team of up to 5 members. Even without the incentive of a gift certificate to the Campus and Community Store, building a snowperson is such a simple joy that should be had by all college students! Again, Sharples has many offerings for creating the best snowperson you can. There are baby carrots at the salad bar for a nose, olives to craft a winning smile, cucumber slices for a pair of eyes, and so on. The possibilities are endless!
- Have a Snowball Fight!
This came to me as a surprise when one of my friends hit me with a snowball while we were walking back to our dorms. It quickly turned into war after that. However, I was unprepared for such a battle that I made as many snowballs as I could but I wasn’t wearing any gloves so by the time we were done, my hands were bright red and I was freezing. I highly recommend bundling up beforehand, and then you can be as brutal as you want.
- Getting a Hot Chocolate
Now that you’ve successfully played in the snow and are now freezing, it’s time to warm up with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Now there are many options available to you! There’s the classic hot chocolate machine in Sharples, and this has the advantage of you being able to customize your drink however you desire. There’s also Sci Center which is open till midnight so is always reliable and their whipped cream is heavenly. Personally, though my ideal hot chocolate is at Hobbs. It doesn’t taste watery, it’s rich and warm and sweet, and just overall the perfect cup of hot chocolate in my opinion.
- Have a Cozy Movie Night with Friends
I can only stand the cold for so long and I do adore being cozy so this is a favorite activity of mine. I have a mini projector in my room so I usually host movie nights, but there are also many wonderful on-campus options. Most people will use a Kohlberg or Trotter classroom, but recently I’ve been using rooms in BEP when I can swing it. However, these classrooms aren’t the coziest option. The coziest option is the video classroom on the third floor of McCabe. It’s tucked away between shelves of books and a hidden gem. The chairs there are all incredibly cushiony, comfy, and easy on the back. If you can snag this room, you’ve got a wonderful movie night ahead.
