siuDE.com

Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: Columns

Let's play that inkblot game.

You know, I'll show you a photo of some random blobs of black paint and you shoot off all the words that ramble through your head.

Drawing isn't my forte, so let's substitute ink for words.

Ready?

Word(s): Spring break.

Go.

Heat.

Beaches.

Scorching pavement.

Sunshine.

Tan lines.

Dehydration.

Sweaty back.

Sand.

Sunscreen.

Waves.

Relaxation.

Ideally, these would be the words that walk hand-in-hand with spring break. We'd be on a beach somewhere near the equator sipping something exotic, or back home enjoying the sunshine, rocking the flip-flops. For many of us, though, this isn't the case.

Much of SIU's population is from Chicago. Well, anyone south of Springfield says anyone north of Springfield is from Chicago, so basically two-thirds of SIU's population is from "Chicago."

So, let this Chicagoan - I'm really 100 miles northwest of Chi-town - play his own word blot game. Ready?

Word(s): Spring break.

Go.

Two feet of snow.

Gloves.

Hot chocolate.

Hypothermia.

Ice skating.

Long underwear.

Salted side walks.

Ice scrapers.

Cold ears.

Lit fireplace.

For those of us who can't afford the trip to Panama City, somewhere up north may be our spring break destination. It turns out the second week of March is always cold. Turns out the third week of March is usually much hotter.

So what's my point? I hate the snow. The cold sucks. No one wants to wear snow boots during spring break.

So why gripe? Because there's a solution.

And the solution is simple. The university should move back spring break by a week. A week would make a big difference. Think that's an exaggeration?

The snow is now gone in my hometown and the sun has appeared. Last week, the snow was waist high and the Gatorade in my backseat froze overnight.

It's pretty cruddy to go from 50- to 60-degree weather in Carbondale to 12-degree weather in the northern regions.

Sure the university's setup right now makes sense. You go to school for eight weeks, take a week off, then eight more weeks to cap it all off.

Screw equilibrium.

I don't want to freeze on my spring break.

Wilson is a senior studying journalism.

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