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The Frozen Tundra of Campus Life

During my long hiatus from writing these buzz articles lots of things have changed. My going away to college, and I suppose one could say adjusting to college life.  I am involved in different groups and organizations on campus.  I, of course, have made new friends.  It seems logical, and college people are all about logic, to follow up my going away to college buzz article with an article about a typical day at college for me.

First off, I am going to Monmouth College, in Monmouth Illinois.  It is about 45 min away from here. My parents think it takes an hour, but they drive slow. My roommate is also from Elmwood.  We were good friends in high school so it seemed we should room together.  This was before my learning he can’t go to sleep with out the TV being on, but we have worked that out now.

I live in Cleland Hall, an antiquated dorm nearly as old as Steve. It was built in 1964; Steve was built in 1952. Our windows are not super insulated like modern windows, so the cold seeps in.

It is early in the morning; the clock cruelly displays 8:10 am. OK, early for me.  I am freezing cold.  Oh, I do hate the cold.

I drag my body to the edge of the bed and look down at the treacherous drop before me. It has to be at least 20 feet to the floor from the top bunk. It usually takes me more than one attempt to reach the top bunk of the bed. 

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Erik Davis

I don’t know how I ended up with the top bunk. Yes, I have fallen out of the top bunk, as I stretched ever farther trying to turn off the TV without actually getting out of bed.

 I prepare my body for the plunge and throw the covers from me.  The cold rushes in and penetrates my body to the bone.  It is unbelievably cold when your beds are up against the windows.  We arranged them that way so we could put up our posters that were crying out for wall space to display them. A Natalie Portman poster is worth enduring a little cold.

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Back to leaving the warm bed, I first get into a sitting position. I step down onto a desk chair; then finally at long last onto the floor. The floor, if possible, is even colder than the room itself.  I lethargically get my shower stuff and drag myself into the bathroom.  It is warm in the bathroom.  The floor is warm; it’s a wonderful place.

I get in the shower and feel the warm water washing over me.  I get out of the shower and of course I am freezing again.  I also realize that I forgot my towel.  I dive drippingly back into the room and finish getting ready to go to my 9:00 am class.  By now it is 9:00 am.  I gather my things and leave.

It is incredibly cold.  So cold in fact that my hair freezes.  I rush from my dorm to the classroom and arrive at French 101.  It is now 9:05 am.  I am a little earlier this day than most.  The teacher looks at me with obvious disdain and tells me to take my seat.  My head is in a fog of grogginess.  I am incapable of thinking at such an early hour in the morning. We play charades in French. I get acrobatics or “aerobatiques”. The cartwheel, should I say “Le”cartwheel I attempt is less than graceful, so no one guesses “aerobatiques”. On the bright side it was warm in the classroom.

College in the winter is a continual pursuit of warmth scurrying to the Stockdale Center for food, rushing from class back to the dorm. If you know a college student give them a portable heater so they can absorb the radiant beams of warmth.  I know, when you think of giving these days it is to tsunami victims. The waves hit in warm coastal climates; they won't begrudge students space heaters. I will remain thankful I'm only dodging cold blasts of wind.

ED