Snow Day at MC!

For ya’ll relocated Yankees out there: I know you think you’ve begun to fit in, that your accent is softening up a bit, that your driving has relaxed, but we’ll always know who you are. When the word “snow” is accompanied by a shiver of disgust or an eyeroll, you give it all away. Native North Carolinians may be completely helpless about driving in the snow, but we haven’t forgotten how appreciate it.

Take sledding, for instance. Lack of sleds doesn’t stop Meredith students from hurtling head-first down the slopes. Actually, we like to think of it as a challenge to our creative and problem-solving skills. Cardboard is the most popular solution, but trash bags and binders work well also. Plastic boxes can be pretty funny to watch, but trash can lids are excellent, even though they tend to get damaged during repeated use.
There are some excellent slides on campus, but my favorite would be next to the stairs that I take every day to get to the music building. The man-made, sharp drop is difficult to walk up (even without snow on it) without using your hands and knees. There is a row of holly bushes at the top, which is inconvenient but better than them being at the bottom. Just to shake things up, there’s a lovely young ginkgo tree at the bottom, with a dedicatory plaque that has rather sharp edges. Keep in mind that steering when on half a cardboard box is not an option, so you must choose your trajectory carefully while trying not to slip and fall down the hill or into the holly bushes. Also, there are two small speed bumps near the bottom, which are enough to get you airborne if you’ve kept your feet off the ground.

For some reason, the only people who responded to my Facebook call for sledding were Honors students…I’m not sure if that means that nerdy brainiac people just don’t have enough excitement in their lives, or not enough common sense to come in out of the cold. I’d rather think that we are young at heart, but it’s probably just that willing to get out of bed before noon on a Monday when classes are canceled.
At any rate, I had a marvelous time yesterday “recycling” cardboard boxes, getting snow down my back, and zooming down the hard-packed icy slopes head first and completely out of control. I had so much fun that I’m doing it again this morning. Care to join me?