November 21, 2019

Being Bold Despite the Cold: How to Stay Active on Campus This Winter

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Check-in time!

It’s about halfway through the semester at this point, and everyone’s favorite time of year: flu, prelim, and snow season. With daylight savings now behind us and the sun setting as early as 5:00 p.m. each day, the lack of Vitamin D can really get to a person. So make sure to keep yourself busy and not fall into that Ithaca-winter funk!

The cold weather can definitely be a deterrent for getting up and out of the library or dorm in the morning, but just because the temperature dropped doesn’t mean that activity on campus did too. Fun in Collegetown and the Commons can be a great source of evening and weekend entertainment, but it’s important not to forget about the variety of on-campus activities too. Galas, concerts, fundraisers, round-tables, game nights, and more are happening at all hours of the day all over Cornell, never more than a fifteen-minute walk from your location.

A lot of students tend not to think about these types of events until they themselves have to sell tickets for the ones hosted by their own clubs. In reality, our campus is constantly teeming with activity. If any of you have had to advertise for your organization in the past, you know how difficult it can be to harass group chats and friends in order to muster up enough attendance for an adequate crowd at your concert, show, or other type of gathering. Thus, having more student participation in on-campus showcases would benefit all parties involved — those hosting the event, and the students who get to enjoy the experience by attending.

So, next Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, or whatever day of the week where you find yourself without plans or in need of a good study break, I encourage you to go out and explore what our university has to offer. You won’t regret making the extra trek to central campus, and I guarantee that most students would be happy to return the favor when an event of your own rolls around. 

Googling, in this case, doesn’t always reap the best results, so to discover these great opportunities for getting out in spite of the cold weather, here are a few helpful resources that you can turn to, besides word-of-mouth from friends and people that you know:

  1. Denice A. Cassaro

These weekly emails can get annoying and have a habit of clogging up your inbox, but I encourage you not to mark them as spam. If you have extra time in your day, walking between classes or even waiting in line at the dining hall, scroll through the weekly update of upcoming events and their more in-depth descriptions. You’d be surprised what you can find here — I’ve discovered quite a few hidden on-campus gems through the Community Events editions. 

Denise Cassaro

 

  1. Facebook

Believe it or not, yes, this ancient social media site is fantastic for notifying you of the latest fundraisers, succulent drops, and performing arts showcases happening nearby. A large range of groups also exist for niche interests like Super Smash tournaments in Phillips (Smashfest) or Pokemon Go raids near Willard Strait, and it’s the perfect avenue for discovering the time and locations for such open club meetings. Search nearly anything with “Cornell” at the end of it and you’re on your way to finding something perfect just for you.

A holiday event coming up, found by searching for “Cornell events” on Facebook

 

  1. Posters

Whether its for nostalgic purposes or an inability to fully assimilate into the digital age, printing is still a very commonly used tactic by organizations across campus, and you can find a wall-ful of up-to-date flyers at particular locations such as the Goldwin Smith entrance into Klarman’s Temple of Zeus or near the House Offices of any of the dorms on West Campus. Cue cards also tend to be left around tables in cafes like Libe or Zeus once again, and as wasteful as these may be, they tend to hold useful venue information (most particularly for a cappella concerts). 

Get out, support your fellow students, and get a taste of the wide range of events that our campus has to offer! 

(For example, this Friday there will be a spider exhibit at Mann Library… if you’re interested.)