Dear Ithaca,
We’ve been here for about six weeks now, so we should have it down to a science at this point. In an ideal world we would know what we were getting ourselves into as we open the door to leave our buildings and make the trek to classes each morning: the summer months bring warmer days, the fall months bring cooler ones. True, it’s a well-known fact that the Ithaca weather is mercurial. But still we were led to believe that we could have some idea–however vague–of what to expect.
But as I’ve quickly learned in my first few weeks at Cornell, that’s not the case at all. While some days we open our doors to cold and chilly winds, other days we walk out and under an unbearably hot sun. And over the last seventy two hours, we watched our thermostats jump a whopping thirty degrees. Needless to say, you’re harder to predict than a guy in a Katy Perry song.
And of course, whichever weather we dress for, you provide the opposite. In August, you had us shivering in shorts and sundresses. Even if we weren’t all too pleased with this sudden coldness, we accepted our Ithacan fate and braced ourselves for the long, frigid, and snowy season ahead. With coats, long pants, and sweatshirts pushing themselves toward the front of our closets, we were starting to get ready. Then, on the first day of fall, you raised the temperature to eighty, even ninety degrees, giving us days so hot and humid they nearly melted the the clothes off us and leaving us sweaty messes when we arrived to class. Basically what we, with long hair, are saying is that there’s absolutely no way for us to predict, or more importantly prevent, our hair from frizzing until it’s too late.
Aside from finding you generally frustrating, we’re actually nervous about your inconsistencies on a deeper level. As a campus keenly aware of and concerned with the issue of climate change, this up and down, and then loop around, rollercoaster of temperatures is alarming to us all. Of course, we know we are partly to blame for these ridiculous weather patterns. But I would think that given all of our efforts to be environmentally friendly–including our extensive system of recycling and compost at campus eateries–you would try to cut us a break. We are receiving your message loud and clear; we hope that you’re receiving ours too.
On behalf of all of us here on Cornell’s campus, and anyone else who just lives in Ithaca (yes, they’re here too), please make up your mind. Because if you’re this temperamental during the mild months, I don’t want to think about what nonsense winter will bring. Following this trend, we’ll be applying sunscreen to walk around campus in January and bundling up down jackets come May.
Sincerely,
You’re Making No Sense
