That was probably the cheesiest title I could come up with, but beautiful spring deserves such cliches.
While walking across the bridge that overlooks the Fox River, one of my close friends looked at me and said “Wow, spring at Lawrence is almost good enough to make you forget about winter at Lawrence.” As I swatted at a little river bug, I tried to picture the way campus was four months prior, covered with snow and teeming with bundled up students who had to rush to get to their classes before their fingertips went numb. I laughed and brushed off the comment, but as another year here comes to an end, I wondered: How can a school feel so different, but still feel like home, from Appleton Autumn, Wisconsin Winter and Superb Spring?
Term 1: Fall
I love fall term. Just back from summer, the leaves changing colors, everyone is still happy from their long break and full of stories to share. The campus gets crisper around mid-October, unless we have the good fortune to enjoy an “Indian Summer” as we did this past year. Personally, I find it easy to start the grind when the weather gets colder, and fall is good for that. Usually around Halloween, it truly starts getting what this Summer Child would call chilly. Coats start to come out, but fortunately, most can go all of first term without the down jackets that appear in the winter. Once the leaves change, tons of trees become the crowns of LU’s campus, and I find myself hiking the trail behind Trever Hall with my face pointed up appreciating the beauty. The downfalls? (I will be honest in this more idealistic blog.) Mostly the only weather downfall of fall term is when it suddenly drops lower and you’re stuck with only summer clothes and you have to wait for that package from home. Plan ahead Lawrentians, as the Starks said “Winter is Coming.”
Term 2: Winter
Honesty hour: Wisconsin Winter can be rough. And this is coming from a born-and-raised Michigan girl. It takes a master of the bundle to get to classes some days. I’ve found myself in down coat, mittens, hat, regular scarf, hood up, extra scarf around hood, smartwool socks and a pair of boots. Plus sunglasses. Coming from a place plagued by lake affect snow, I was so surprised how much the winter sun was out here in Appleton. Yes, it does snow, but less than I was used to, and while ice did grace the sidewalks, LU’s crew does a great job spreading salt to melt the slippery zones. The cold can bite, but those white, sunny days have a certain beauty to them. Around spring break things begin to thaw, and then comes the greatest time on campus.
Term 3: Spring
Spring term and I have a love/hate relationship. I love it, it loves me. It hates when I try to work on papers and exams instead of being outside. Lawrence’s campus is so beautiful in the spring; it is hard to be anywhere but down by the river, laying on Main Hall Green, or sitting outside the Cafe sipping iced coffee. Students emerge from their bundled clothes and flowers start to bud. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get here; Winter doesn’t leave very easily. But around mid-May you can always count on the Food Truck being out on the lawn with students sunning themselves around it. Little ducklings appear, and the bunnies in the quad get bigger and bigger. Again there is a downfall: Riverbugs and April Showers. But I’ve heard before that some people do love the rain, and if you can handle Freshman Studies, you can handle a tiny moth or two.
The Conclusion?
Somehow, whoever created the 10-week Trimester Term system had the Wisconsin weather figured out. It seems Fall begins right on time, Winter reigns during 2nd term, and things warm up after Spring Break. Lawrence’s campus is constantly changing with the seasons, but if you look for the beauty in it all, trust me, you’ll find it.