With April now upon us, it is time for those students who like to think weather doesn’t make a difference in their days to eat their words. If it were legal, I would personally like to make human sacrifices a la Montezuma just to make sure it never dips below 70 degrees ever again. However, and on a slightly lighter and less sacrificial note, thinking about the variable spring weather has brought to mind all of the quirky behaviors that come out of the woodwork at the College of William and Mary once the sun starts shining. So here are a few observations — the good, the better and the just plain best.
The Good: The First Day of Temperatures in the 80s
The entire campus goes from one dark and huddled mass into a massive cocktail of bright colors. The girls, in a die-hard competition to wear the sundress with the largest flowers, proudly strut all over campus implicitly asking for compliments. The boys also think it’s time to make their fashion sense known, and do so by wearing bright yellow, teal or pink shorts, paired with even brighter blue, green or orange T-shirts. Ray-Bans once again become a dress code staple. Although free plastic AMP sunglasses are a great budget-friendly alternative (and a personal favorite). Basically, if you’re not wearing at least three colors and some awesome shades, prepare to feel out of place.
The Other Good: The College Frisbee Obsession
It’s a great activity — unless, of course, you do not actually own a Frisbee. In fact, not long ago, after deciding that I could not live another year in jealousy, my friend and I purchased a professionally-certified Frisbee so that we could finally take part. Unfortunately, it turns out that certification makes no difference if you lack all throwing and catching skills to be even remotely decent at the sport. On that note, sincerest apologies to the couple I kept hitting during what was intended to be a romantic Sunken Garden make-out session — while it could have been on purpose, my constantly hitting you with the Frisbee was actually just honest and pure luck.
The Better: The Terrace Lives
If you’ve been waiting all day to be shamed into buying another melted cupcake you never wanted in the first place for some cause in some country where people have no cupcakes at all (although after the last one I bought on the Sadler Center Terrace, I think they might just be better off), you finally have the chance. AMP also joins in on the fun by showering us with Fridays at Five, Homebrews, comedians and 1,000 candy-filled Easter eggs. I don’t care if you don’t like music or comedy — plastic eggs filled with Three Musketeers and Starbursts are the best. Last but not least, to have a place where you can sit for hours, within 20 feet of the Daily Grind and a major dining hall, and see all of your friends, without ever having to move an inch from your seat? That, my dear ladies and gentlemen, is a jackpot.
And now The Best: People are Happy Just to Be Here
No, I don’t mean that people rejoice in each minute by happily skipping to their 9 a.m. classes — that’s mainly reserved for 4/20 participants. I mean it in the sense that the magical or lovely things that every person loves about the College, if forgotten during the long months of January and February, are back in full force, whether a midnight streak or an early morning run floats your boat — and with this weather, and this campus, I’m starting to think anything seems possible. Unless it involves Frisbee skills, of course.
Dasha Godunova is a Confusion Corner Columnist and has been practicing her Frisbee-throwing skills and hunting for sundresses with only the largest flowers in preparation for the upcoming warm weather days at the College.
