Spring has arrived. After months of wondering when—and if—the snow would melt, we now can take comfort in the small pleasures derived from walking across campus without worrying about wet socks or falling on an ice patch.
At Bowdoin, spring semester always has been somewhat of a misnomer, but when the snow does finally melt to reveal the brown grass and the pathways we forgot existed, the months of trudging over snow mounds and navigating through icy pathways suddenly seem worth it.
Spring, after all, is the season of new beginnings, of baseball's opening day and the NFL rookie draft.
But with milder temperatures and longer, sunnier days come temptations and potential pitfalls.
After two weeks of vacation, bringing back the focus and drive we need to finish the semester is difficult. With the newfound possibilities of tossing a Frisbee on the quad or going for a run outdoors, committing to hours of reading articles and working on problem sets becomes far less appealing.
So, we might ask, how do we balance the workload of our always-demanding schedules while still fully enjoying the best months Bowdoin has to offer? The answer to that question is not as complicated as you may think.
In fact, the notion that educational success is inhibited by good weather is somewhat misguided. While a warm, sunny day certainly does draw our gaze to the window more than your typical bitterly cold Bowdoin morning, it also provides us with new and exciting opportunities to immerse ourselves in the natural beauty offered by Bowdoin's campus and Maine.
To quote William Dewitt Hyde's "The Offer of the College," the dawn of spring also means the chance to "count nature a familiar acquaintance."
Admittedly, I never have taken full advantage of that offer. Not since my freshman year pre-orientation trip have I been part of a Bowdoin Outing Club adventure, and not since I helped clear trails during Common Good Day later that same year have I walked through any Maine woods other than the ones between Farley and Brunswick Apartments.
Like many things during our all-too-short college careers, we may never again have the opportunity to climb Mount Washington or Mount Katahdin with a group of friends, or walk across the sand bank at Popham beach to the small island at sea.
I regret my reluctance to dive into the great outdoors and take advantage of the tremendous resources Bowdoin offers.
Going on a hiking trip or canoeing along the Maine coast is just as much a part of expanding our horizons as taking an acting class or, in my case, struggling through Economics 101.
If we truly believe in the goals of a liberal arts education, we should strive to become well rounded in not only the academic arena, but also in our appreciation for what this world has to offer us.
Good weather can be the inspiration we need to go out and experience the world around us. Though I do not want to suggest we can decide to substitute a trip to the woods for the hours we should be working on that final paper, I do want to promote the idea that the two endeavors can be complementary.
Beyond the more ambitious proposition of spending a weekend hiking, we should consider the opportunities we have to reconnect to the outdoors right on campus.
If spring is also a time of physical rejuvenation, why not join a club sport or participate in intramurals? Instead of running on a treadmill, why not run down to Hannaford to pick up next week's groceries?
The point is, we now have a great excuse to enjoy and learn from the natural beauty surrounding us. Seizing this opportunity can make a tremendous difference to our educational experience.
So I implore you, make every effort to experience what Bowdoin in nicer weather has to offer you, and, even if the forecasts are right and it does start snowing again this week, do not ignore this final piece of advice.
While the sight of snow falling in April might make my article somewhat premature, the central message remains relevant.
Good weather at Bowdoin is fleeting, so make sure you appreciate it while it lasts. After my pre-orientation trip experience three years ago, I really believed I would go on a trip at least once a month and see the beauty of each season change. Three years have gone by and I still have not found my way back to the great outdoors.
The lesson I learned? If you do not do all those things you told yourselves you wanted to do and see what you promised you would see while the weather is still good, the long, cold winter will be back, and you will be left wondering if the snow is ever going to melt.