There’s something that doesn’t seem quite right about the fact that a college student is more likely to skip class when the atmospheric temp drops below zero than to say “no” to a party.

Sure, we can layer five sweaters, two hoodies, a parka, and a scarf, but once we’ve stepped outside, bookbag in hand, we realize we would much rather snuggle up under our down comforters and hibernate until spring. Yet, when Friday rolls around, we’re willing to trudge across campus in a blizzard, wearing mini skirts and halter tops, just to look cute for Martini Night.

Of course, these practices only snowball (har har har) into bigger problems when we get strep throat, bronchitis, the flu, or other wintery illness since our immune systems have been frozen solid. Rather than braving the cold, risking hypothermia, or sitting in an ice-cube of a car, begging the heat to kick in for twenty minutes just so you can feel the steering wheel to drive to a party, here are some ways to make the weekends work…warmly.

1. Host a floor party.

Especially in suite-style dorms or university apartment complexes, this is a no-brainer. Everyone can pop in and out as they please, nobody even needs a jacket, and you’ll never be stuck being the DD. If your RA is a stickler for the rules, this can be tricky, but if you can get away with it, have an open house on your floor/in your hall/ around the building. Read More »

Remember when you were a little kid, and you’d actually wake up on time for school… just so you could huddle next to the radio and listen for your school to be called on the list of snow days?

With winter’s doom impending and temperatures dropping faster than an eight ball at Amy Winehouse’s flat, we can’t help but cross our fingers and pray… Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Are snow days something you never grow out of? Or, in college, do they prove that miracles really can happen? Here’s how our anticipation of snow days has evolved since grammar school.

Then: A snow day meant a day off from times tables.

Now: We don’t have to finish copying someone else’s MiniTabs before Stats lab.

Then: We would make a beeline to the street and get all the neighborhood kids together for a snowball fight.

Now: We don’t have to brave arctic winds to walk to class and sit through lecture with snot-cicles hanging from our frostbitten faces.

Then: Since we were already up at the crack of dawn, we could take advantage of the snow day and start building a snow man as soon as we got “the word.”

Now: We can go back to sleep for about six hours, and wake up just in time for happy hour. Read More »

We always hear about the obesity epidemic in America: It’s a major issue! People are dying! Fat people are evil! While it’s true that being overweight can lead to serious health problems, it is not true that being overweight automatically means being unhealthy.

Which explains the new “Fat Acceptance” movement that is spreading across the country. Activists and supporters of this movement are screaming from the rooftops that being fat is OK, and as long as people are making good choices to support a healthy lifestyle it should not matter what size pants they wear.

And I totally concur. I cannot tell you how sick I am of salads, fad diets and feeling guilty when I want a Potbelly Oreo Shake so badly I could punch someone. So, you know what? I’m joining this movement and I urge you to do the same. Stop kicking yourself for enjoying a hot dog at your football tailgate. Stop crying after a late night pizza binge.

Put down that carrot and join me in embracing ourselves, no matter what size we are. And what is the best way to do that? By enjoying some of life’s most delectable treats. Come on, it’s OK; fat is in! Read More »

Labor Day weekend kicks off tomorrow. Yay for a long weekend filled with delicious BBQ! Boo for high gas prices and the end of sweet, glorious summer. While most of you can’t wait to get back to campus and read those books and write those papers see your friends and hit the bar scene, I am going to miss the summer.

Yeah, yeah, yeah – fall is great too: football season, hoodie and jeans weather, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. I know all those things are great, but there are so many things about summer that I can’t get in any other season (like white pants) and I am really (really) gonna miss em:

Drinking Outside – Maybe it’s the warm breeze or the sun on my back (or the fact that while I am outside I don’t quite feel as bad drinking alone), but there is really nothing more heavenly than enjoying a nice sangria outside on a hot summer day.

The Sundress – Getting dressed in the summer is always easy: just throw on a dress and a pair of flip-flops. No need to mess with itchy and uncomfortable tights, or layering with long-sleeved shirts. The summer dress is simple and cute.

Daily Ice Cream – I love ice cream. LOVE. So the summer is my season. I can make daily trips to the ice cream shop without looking like a fatty/8 year old. I can chase the ice cream man down the street and no one thinks I’m crazy (but they do sometimes think I have a thing for small children….) And I just get to enjoy my favorite treat (some sort of Flurry/Blizzard that involves Reeses in some capacity) on a daily basis.

The Sun – And the way it turns my skin a color that is not pasty white. How I don’t have to put on tons of makeup, because my face looks sunkissed and perfect without it. How I can wear sunglasses all day, every day. How it feels on my shoulders as I’m drinking on the porch, or chasing the ice cream man. Read More »