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Students cope with cold conditions

Students cope with cold conditions

Two months ago, Inklings published an article detailing the Farmer’s Almanac prediction of a very cold, snowy winter.

“Below average temperature for two-third’s of the nation,” was the threat that loomed over Connecticut as we entered into the months of December, January and February.

Now this no longer a threat, rather a harsh reality, those below average temperatures have fallen onto the state of Connecticut. At Staples, with the school day starting at 7:30 and many faculty and students waking well before then,the early morning low degrees which delay the effectiveness of various car warmers make the drive to school that much colder for that much longer.

On Jan. 23 Staples’ students became especially aware of the inconveniences a cold winter could have when they were held outside for 20 minutes in the 5 degree chill while the Fire Department investigated a burst pipe.

Disgruntled and uncomfortable, the student body seemed collectively over the so-called polar vortex.

“I just want this winter to be over, I don’t ever remember it being this cold,” said Jamie Swotes ’15.

Swotes is not the only one who wouldn’t remember it ever being this cold because historically during January and February, Connecticut usually hovers between 18 and 40 degrees.  This year it seems we’ve been experiencing the lower end of those projections.

Scott Pecoriellio ’15, founder of the blog “Wild About Weather” and up and coming meteorologist, explained that this winter is particularly cold because of a phenomenon known as the “Polar Vortex”  that allows a ridge to develop in Alaska which continuously drives cold air in the US, sending temperatures down everywhere, including to Connecticut.

“We haven’t had a winter like this one in quite a while with such persistent cold weather. Even in the really snowy ones like 2010-2011, it didn’t get quite this cold for such a long period of time,” said Pecoriellio, “You’d have to go back a good decade or more to find this kind of cold.”

While the majority of one’s day may be spent inside Staples, it certainly doesn’t stop students from preparing to thoroughly to defend themselves against such forceful freezes.

“I wear wool socks, long johns, plus pants and a shirt and then two long sleeve layers and a jacket and a blue and purple hat and then I suck it up,” said Mike Moritz ’14 with a chuckle.

Nick Ribolla ’15 wears similar attire when he’s required to be outside during the Polar Vortex, and he calls his multitude of layers “The Whole Enchilada.” This would everything from thermal underwear to doubling up on sweaters and zipping it all off with a ski jacket. He spares no article of clothing when wrapping up for warmth.

Most days the temperature eventually climbs up to 30 or even 40 degrees, only to drop down to the teens for the night and stay there to freeze noses, fingers, and toes the next morning. Though this may be cold enough to send students jumping for their various thermal layers and knitted hats, one can be thankful that it’s not 1943 when Connecticut experienced its’ lowest recorded temperature of -37 degrees.

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Sophia Hampton, News Editor
Sophia Hampton ’15 can’t quite decide what she wants to do mainly because she wants to do everything. “I can’t tell you what I want to do,” she said, “Because it’s going to change.” Hampton described how, in the past, her varied ambitions ranged from being an editor of Vogue, to being owner of a restaurant, to even being a member of the Peace Corps. Now, however, she has become fixated on another career. After a five week journalism course at Northwestern University over the summer, Hampton decided to take the parts she loved best about journalism- connecting with people through interviews and talking about important issues- and use them it construct her new life plan. With lively passion, she detailed how she would love to be a lawyer. She discussed how she thinks it’s very similar to journalism, since they both would allow her to uncover the truth and “give a voice to the voiceless.” Of course, with Hampton’s ambition, she wastes no time getting started. When she wanted to own a restaurant, she became president of the culinary club.  So when she wanted to become a lawyer, she took up a summer internship at a law firm right after her journalism program. But she playfully acknowledges that her dreams have changed before, and makes sure to add, “Right now I am so down to be a lawyer, but don’t be surprised if you find me in 30 years and I’m a marine biologist.”  

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