A Letter to Ithaca Weather

By Paige Barlow

Dear Ithaca Weather,

Spring has officially sprung. The flowers have finally started blooming, and the last snow (or so we hope) has melted off of the sidewalks. Students are beginning to walk around without their heavy jackets on, and more people are spending time outside on the slope and laying on the Arts Quad rather than locked away in a library. 

I don’t know about you, but for me this winter felt especially long. With the cold Ithaca air and the pandemic preventing students from being able to do normal social activities indoor, students have been itching to get outside. But finally, after a daunting COVID winter behind us and with the vaccine soon to be distributed on campus, it feels like things are turning around for the best. 

I know life can be unpredictable, and we can’t always choose what happens. However, I urge you — no, beg you — to give us sunny and warm weather for the rest of the semester. Let’s not have any more snowy or rainy days. For the rest of the semester, students should be able to have fun outside, be with their friends (so long as they are staying socially distanced), go to the gorges, and appreciate everything Ithaca has to offer. Let’s give students the fun, normal Spring semester that they have been waiting for. Although we do love our occasional Ithaca snow days during the winter months, let’s make sure that the spring weather stays nice, the temperature warm, and the students happy. 

We all love being in Ithaca, and that doesn’t change just with a change in weather. However, for the well-being of everyone on campus, I think it’s safe to say we are all a little over eager for Spring this year. I’m not sure if this is too much to ask, but if you care about Cornell students as much as I think you do, a sunny-day-filled semester is bound to be coming our way. After the confusing and crazy year we’ve had, having an amazing (and normal) end to the semester is something we all desperately want and need. 

Sincerely, 

A Weather-Mood-Dependent Sophomore