There are a lot of things I love about Syracuse University: the quality of the education, the prevalence of Pepsi over Coke, students who use ‘five-year program’ as an excuse, and so much more. But above all that is the dysfunctional weather.

Good weather is such a rarity that it deserves a column. It makes us lose our inhibitions, cellphones, dignity, undergarments, etc. It makes it impossible to get any work done, to stay on a diet, to intensely discuss any other subject but that yellow thing in the sky that makes us all warm and happy.

The nice weather draws everyone outside. People you haven’t seen in months resurface, pale and blinking, clutching copies of ‘Twilight,’ and you are reminded that they exist. The Quidditch team resumes its practices in the field by the Women’s Building, and you are reminded that they, strangely enough, exist as well. Girls start tanning in the Quad, and visiting students are presented with the accurate portrayal of SU as the tropical resort it obviously is.

And the best part is that it’s not even really all that warm. It’s definitely not warm by Caribbean standards. It’s still freezing at night. There’s still snow melting on the ground. But — as I’ve been endlessly reminded — compared to how it’s been, we might as well be located at the equator in the middle of a heat wave without an air conditioner, dressed in 65 layers of black clothing — or something to that degree.

I think we have Chipotle to thank for all this. When it opened up on Marshall Street, it brought good karma to the area. It brought joy and laughter back into our lives. It made significant contributions. ‘Um, yah. It’s mad good,’ agreed one young student standing outside of said location, full of future promise as he chewed loudly on a burrito and squinted suspiciously at the sun.

But as nice as the weather is, our happiness is fleeting. After all, a few years ago, it snowed on graduation. It could very well happen again. There is a higher chance of it snowing in May than of me switching from a BlackBerry to an iPhone. (The transition from BBM to a lack of BBM would just be a little too emotional.) It’s sad but true: The weather is unpredictable.

In light of this groundbreaking revelation, I would advise making the most of this beautiful weather while we have it. Especially seniors — after graduation, some of you might move to a location where it is always sunny and temperate. You won’t appreciate the sun as much. You will no longer experience the opportunity to feel so cold that your arms turn blue, and you can’t stop shivering and mumbling to yourself, and you get asked on multiple occasions if you’re going through crack withdrawals.

Moral of the story? Go ahead and wear a bikini to class. It’s practically summer — get your As in the hottest ways.

Marina Charny is a senior English and textual studies and writing major. Her column appears every Monday. She can be reached at mcharny@syr.edu.

 

Published on April 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm