By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
Every year, colder weather that comes with the winter season can induce a feeling of melancholy due to the shorter length of daylight and spending more time indoors. Students at Fort Hays State University have different methods of preparing for the gloom felt during winter weather.
For students like sophomore Zoey Maze, preparing for this time of year means having the right clothes in hand, staying warm, and counting on a trusty support group.
“I just brought back a bunch of winter clothes,” she said. “I hang out with my friends a lot more and stay in the dorms. I may make hot chocolate just to stay warm and cozy. I feel like with the gloomy weather comes depression, but being with your friends helps a lot.”
However, she does see a benefit in the time change with Daylight Saving Time (DST).
“I think it makes it better,” Maze said. “You get an extra hour of sleep, but obviously, it makes the days shorter.”
Unlike Maze, other students welcome winter weather and feel no gloom.
“I like winter and snow,” said senior student Hadley Folsom. “I look forward to the holidays and everything that they mean with my family. So, I don’t feel any gloom with it.”
Folsom thinks people are sadder because of the darker weather during the time of year.
“They don’t get to be outside and in the sun as much,” she said. “They associate that with happiness and fun, I guess.”
Senior Mady Boydston is used to colder weather but does not like the inconveniences of the season while on campus.
“I’m always cold anyways,” she said. “I make sure to buy really good quality warm clothes and just try to power through. It sucks because we can’t park on campus. My house is too close to get a parking permit, so I have to walk. I also keep a heater with me at work.”
Despite her feelings, Boydston sees some positives in winter weather, especially with her family traditions.
“I prefer colder weather even though I do feel the gloom,” Boydston said. “It means holidays, hunting season, everything that I enjoy, and my birthday, so that’s fun. In a way, I do enjoy it better.”
While students have mixed feelings about the coming winter, others are used to it not only by adapting but by growing up in a region that is no stranger to a cool climate.
“I’m from Colorado, so I already have a lot of winter clothes,” junior Morgan Drake said. “I don’t have to prepare too much. I would say that Hays is really windy. So, prepare for that. Get some windbreakers, get some cozy sweaters.”
Drake understands why people view winter weather unfavorably and how it impacts them.
“It is something to complain about,” she said. “Not many people like the cold weather, and I’m not one for it. My favorite type of weather is summer and the heat. I feel not as intrigued to go outside, and I want to stay inside and cuddle up in bed.”
In contrast, some students who grew up in warmer climates are disadvantaged from not being in cold weather, and students like senior Kaleigh Linn have learned that upon moving to Hays.
“I am from California, and the winter there is 60 degrees,” she said. “When I moved last year, it definitely was a shock to me. I’ve been around snow and cold, but living in it is totally different. I’m used to a warmer winter, so I personally hate the cold. I hate the snow and it mentally brings me down.”
Like other students, Linn is frustrated about being unable to go outdoors and absorb the sun.
“I’m a summer girl,” she said. “I like being outside in the sunshine. I’m not used to a lot of rain too. Even when it’s raining, it makes me want to stay home. I hate going out in the rain, and it puts me in a bad mood.”
As a native Californian, navigating through snow is like a new world to her.
“I feel like I was not prepared,” Linn said. “I didn’t know how bad the snow was. Driving through the snow was completely new to me. Getting up a little earlier to scrape the snow off my car was something I had to learn. All these new things I had to learn definitely felt crazy because I’m just not used to it.”