Looking back on past winters at Dartmouth, I remember walking outside to be physically painful. People would tell me, "This isn't even cold for Hanover," and I would stare at them in disbelief. This year, when I hear that this is "the coldest winter in 30 years," I find myself wondering why I am not feeling more miserable. Even when the temperature dropped to -31 degrees I felt pretty content.
This got me thinking: Perhaps I am less bothered by the cold precisely because this winter I have spent a significantly greater amount of time outside. Between work as a P.E. ski instructor, recreational skiing, and other wintry pastimes such as skating (or attempting to skate) on Occom Pond, I have been outside more often than in my previous three winters combined. Because my enjoyment of the term has been dependent on, rather than prevented by, the cold weather, it no longer seems like such a hostile entity.
Many people at Dartmouth only venture outside for minutes at a time for example to walk to class, their dorms, Food Court, the library or the gym. The cold becomes an unwelcome obstacle to a normal lifestyle and students find themselves counting the days to spring break. Reduced sun exposure compounds the problem, sapping people's energy and making them more susceptible to seasonal depression.
I understand that decreased sunlight has a very real effect on students' physiological processes and I do not intend to downplay the significance of seasonal affective disorder. Nevertheless, a sun lamp can only do so much. Whether or not one's vitamin D levels are sufficient, it's tough to enjoy the winter while hiding away inside.
Students make several excuses for avoiding the outdoors this term. Some people argue that they have never lived in a snowy area and lack the necessary skills to enjoy the winter. Yet, with the College offering ski and snowboard classes for P.E. credit as well as facilitating equipment rentals and transport, learning these sports is relatively inexpensive and convenient.
There are also plenty of things an experienced skier can learn at the Skiway, such as how to snowboard, telemark ski or teach. The Skiway is so accessible, with a daily shuttle taking students to the mountain at regular intervals and discounted ticket rates for Dartmouth students, that we are doing ourselves a disservice by failing to take full advantage of what it has to offer.
Don't have the cash or time to make it to the Skiway? The DOC house by Occom Pond serves as a rental center for ice skates, hockey sticks, cross country skiing equipment and snowshoes, all at discounted prices for Dartmouth students. The Dartmouth Outing Club offers classes for P.E. credit such as Nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, mountaineering and ice fishing.
The most common excuse for avoiding winter-specific activities is lack of time, and this justification is the hardest one for me to accept. Taking time for oneself is the most important weapon against the winter blues. Sadness negatively affects one's energy levels and ability to work productively. Hours spent playing in the snow are more valuable than hours spent on Facebook or passing out on a textbook.
Dartmouth students have plenty of time left in the term to shake off the cold-weather blues and embrace the winter. Carnival weekend is a perfect time to do this. Events like the polar bear swim, snow sculpture contest, 99-cent ski day and human dogsled race make Winter Carnival much more than a colder version of Homecoming and Green Key weekends, and the unique outdoor activities available to students during the Winter make it much more than a colder version of Fall and Spring terms.
