Winter term probably feels like the longest of the three terms here at Lawrence – the one where everyone hibernates together to avoid the cold Wisconsin winter. But as the years go by I find I handle the Winter term better every year because I am keeping myself busy and getting out to be involved in activities on campus!
There are a lot of campus activities once you start looking for them, such as the President’s Ball that we just had last weekend, it is one of my favorite events. It happens in our Warch Campus center; they decorate the room and it is filled with Lawrentians all dressed up and dancing to a LIVE jazz band. It is so much fun to listen to the music and dance will all of my friends, and I took a lot of photos.
The President’s Ball is part of Lawrence’s Winter Carnival. This is a tradition that stems from activities that students have done since 1933, and then Winter Carnival started officially in 1976 and has changed and grown since then. Some activities during Winter Carnival include broom ball, where you can make a team and compete with each other. There is also a competition of creating ice sculptures, which is fascinating, and all of the ice sculptures are placed outside of our campus center where you can watch the designs take shape.
Winter Carnival is a great weekend to have fun and unwind since we are now in the middle of midterm season, but that also means that midterm reading period is coming up this weekend! There are a lot of programs that students can go on for reading period to get off campus and explore, and many of these are created by Outdoor Recreation Club, an on campus organization. It allows for students who may not be able to go anywhere for midterm reading period, if home is too far, to go to a new place and explore with their friends for a nice break.
Another way to beat the slump of the long winter is all the awesome sporting events that we have here. There are lots of games to attend during the winter season including men and women’s basketball, swimming and diving, and hockey. There are lots of home games and they are so much fun to attend and share in some viking pride. I have been to many hockey and basketball games this year, and it is fun to go cheer with your friends and members of the community – another great way to go out and enjoy this term!
Lastly, although there are lots of things to keep you busy throughout winter term there is also our Spring Break to look forward to! Everyone is planning their trips – I am actually headed to Arizona for the first time! It is a welcome break and there are so many trips to apply for to allow people to get off campus and explore, such as hiking or ski trips, lots of outdoor adventures to travel and get outside. I have a couple friends that are traveling with Habitat for Humanity for their Spring breaks to Oklahoma. Then you start beautiful spring term with a clear mind and ready for the warm weather to hit! The cold here in Wisconsin may be hard but there are plenty of things to keep you busy here at Lawrence, as long as you go out and take advantage of them!