Posts Tagged ‘Winter’

Winter Isn’t Done Yet….

Posted: March 17, 2015 in Uncategorized
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By Jasmine Ng, RMU Student

The latest snowstorm in the Chicagoland area has come and gone. In saying that, I’m pretty sure Winter Snow Storm “Beck” will be upon us as we speak. We can only hope this snow storm can respect my “artistry,” because I have approximately 475 design projects due. So while this last snow storm has invigorated the rock salt, snow shovel, and lawn chair businesses it has some if not most Chicagoland residents acting like they’ve never even seen snow.

Yes..Jay and Queen Bey, it’s winter in Chicago. Imagine that? I mean, what do you expect? Unless you’ve just moved here, you know the deal. It will snow, and it will snow a lot. Unless you have four wheel drive you will be sliding your way to school or work. Your car will be buried alive, and Grandma herself will be waiting to smash her snow shovel over your head if you even think twice about moving that lawn chair away from her parking spot. But guess what? That’s winter in Chicago for you. But you wouldn’t think that from looking at all of the news reports leading up to the storm. There’s live reporting from the battle grounds and man on the street interviews with average Joes looking as bundled up as Randy from “A Christmas Story.”

Yes, thank you local news, I really need the opinions of other people to confirm that Olaf from Frozen will be having a blast in this weather.

It’s not like we live in Miami and the only thing white is the hair on most of the wealthy people that live there. Don’t get me wrong, the snow was terrible. You know it. I know it. Rather then waste both of our precious time, just sit back relax and deal with it. You live in, or around Chicago. Why not focus on being more productive? For example, check out this really cool video of a DJ Bulldog.

I’ll catch you at the next snow storm when we’ll all be huddled around that heat lamp on the EL platform.  Yes, I know it sucks. The only two people who think snow is cool is my five year old cousin and Tom Skilling.

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Seasonable

Posted: February 5, 2014 in Uncategorized
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By Tricia Lunt, English Faculty.

“Oh, Wind, if winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”  – P. B. Shelley

Regardless of how miserable winter can be, I love the seasons. My short residence in Florida proved that though an endless vacation may seem tempting, there is something of primal importance in the delineation of the seasons as markers of life, growth, death, renewal, and the passage of time.

I was not surprised to discover that Groundhog’s Day is based on the ancient rite of Imbolc, which like all pagan rituals celebrates Imagenatural phenomenon and life cycles of the universe. The Christians co-opted this holiday (among others) and created the mid-winter holy day of Candlemas. Along the way, Groundhog’s Day emerged. At this point I feel compelled to recommend Bill Murray in Groundhog Day since winter is a great time to stay in a watch a movie.

Groundhog’s Day falls between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, the true middle of winter. No matter what holiday we observe, the celebration marks making it halfway through winter. In every other era before this one, surviving until the midpoint of winter was a physical triumph, not just a psychological one. Think about all the real hardships that our forebears experienced specifically extreme cold (without that trusty thermostat) and limited food supplies (no stocking up before a cold snap). Fuel was unreliable and difficult to procure. The food saved for winter was all; when the provisions ran out, there was simply no more. Add to these terrifying realities other issues, particularly with regard to hygiene and illness. Not too much in the way of bathing occurred in the cold months, and sickness spread rapidly, regularly claiming lives. While we have tired of winter at this point, we are fortunate that the season is no longer life-threatening to a vast number of Americans (though the poor and sick and old throughout the world are perpetually at risk).

ImageThe seasons demand a visceral consciousness of the natural world. Weather remains a perpetual topic of polite conversation, even if it consists primarily of complaints. Weather is one of the few shared experiences; we sympathize with each other because we endure together. And, like every struggle humans face, weather can reveal wonderful human traits.

Moreover, without winter cold, there would be no need for knitted scarves, eradicating one type of my favorite accessory. I love wearing scarves, and now that it is regularly below 10 degrees, I wear two at a time. My favorite scarves were made especially for me by my generous (and crafty) friends. I can thank Ruthie, Jackie, Ingrid, and Hanna for the extra warmth they’ve brought to me life, in colorful, portable form.

Too often, contemporary life allows and encourages ignoring the natural world. The seasons bring us back to our senses. With the change of seasons comes the joy of anticipation, too. There is always something new to long for, whether soft spring rain, or warm summer nights, vibrant autumn leaves, or the hush of snowfall.