Make no mistake: Colder weather is just around the corner.
While November has been warmer than usual, SESP sophomore Julie Karaba said that can quickly change.
“I think people for whom this is their first Chicago winter might be fooled,” she said.
Seasoned Northwestern students know that once winter arrives, there is no fooling around. Karaba, who is originally from Hindsdale, Ill., said she loves watching the reactions of students who have never experienced cold winters before.
“I’ll be in jeans and a T-shirt and they have coats and hats on, and it’s not cold at all yet,” she said.
But Weinberg senior Steve Gorodetskiy called Chicago winters unpredictable, where moderate weather can suddenly turn biting cold.
“It’s almost time to go into the basement and dig out my warm clothes,” Gorodetskiy said.
SESP sophomore Kelly King described Chicago winters as an “igloo, because it’s ridiculously freezing and windy and frigid.”
King said winters in her hometown of St. Louis, Mo., are cold, but do not compare with Chicago’s weather.
“I don’t like when I’m shaking walking from class to class; it makes me miss home,” she said. “When I came to visit as a prospective student it was summertime; the wind felt refreshing, not like a whip.”
Every student faces the challenge of surviving the monotony of Winter Quarter and inventing ways to stay warm.
King has a layering method that helps her beat the cold.
“I start with tights, then I go to leggings, then I might go with some jeans or sweatpants and then at least two pairs of socks and some boots. And that is only the bottom half,” King said. “I need at least two shirts, a fleece, and a parka. I’d highly recommend a hat, gloves and scarves, perhaps two on a rough day.”
Still, the freezing temperatures do not prevent some students from venturing outside.
Karaba said she looks forward to the Northwestern University Ski Trip, and recommends ice-skating at Millennium Park in Chicago, and snowball fights on Deering Field as other activities that can enhance winter spirit.
“When you are outside having fun, you don’t think about how cold you are,” Karaba said. “After you are done outside, the best part is that you get to come inside and have hot chocolate by a crackling fire.”
Despite her excitement about winter activities, Karaba said it is difficult to stay positive because of the constant gray skies.
“Not seeing the sun for weeks at a time can get really depressing,” she said. “And the leftover snow and slush on the side of the road is disgusting.”
Gorodetskiy urged students not to focus on the negative aspects of winter. Whether eating delicious food or splurging on winter apparel, there are creative ways students can turn up the heat this winter, he said.
Consuming hot foods is one way to do that.
“Chili warms the soul and reminds me of football in the fall,” King said.
For Karaba, her mother’s minestrone soup and a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha keeps her mood high.
And general optimism will get people through the freezing weather, King said.
“Keep your eyes on the prize. It’s going to get better.”
Reach Rachel Lebowitz at [email protected].