Frozen Precipitation

Also known as "snow".

View of Brafferton from outside the President's House,
looking very picturesque.

Virginia, meteorologically challenged as it is, is a temperate climate (a humid subtropical climate, to be exact). That means that we get snow, but not often. So it's not unheard-of that we get snow, usually once or twice per winter and just a few inches at a time, but it's a rare enough occurrence that Virginia has no idea how to handle snow.

In the case of Northern Virginia ("NOVA" to those who live there, and are pretentious), just whisper "snow" into the open air and schools will close. Following that, every family rushes to the grocery store to buy milk, bread, and eggs, because apparently when it snows we have a biological need to make tottering stacks of French toast. Must be a survival instinct.

A snowy Wren Building,
courtesy of Ryan Minnick, the W&M Apple Campus Rep.

At least once every semester, snow is bound to dust the roof of the noble Wren Building, but every time it happens it seems to be a shock to all. Everyone gawks in horror and fear, then admires how pretty colonial architecture looks when accented with snow. (And therein lies the key to Colonial Williamsburg tourism around Christmastime.)

The winter wonderland from outside my window
(hence the overlaying mesh screen pattern)

Now I myself am a wuss when it comes to inclement weather. One look outside the window (as seen above) and I stayed inside, living on Diet Coke and a Guilt Pizza. The Domino's that serves campus was still delivering, to my great astonishment, though I made sure to spend the necessary half-hour of uncertain agonizing when it comes to ordering delivery in poor weather -- that is, make someone else go out in weather into which you yourself don't want to go. Also I made to sure to feel guilty for the shivering young man as I ate my warm, delicious pizza, and to give him a 50% tip.

Our TJ, looking exasperated at this weather cramping his style
(also courtesy of Ryan Minnick, the W&M Apple Campus Rep.)

So what's the outcome of this frozen tundra(-ish)? The College closed Saturday and Sunday, and a late-opening at 10am Monday. (Just like all those two-hour delays back in elementary/middle/high school! Aww!)

A New Jersey native who now attends the College couldn't believe the news when I told her. "I've never had a snow day in my life!" she exclaimed, and then made remarks against our honor as Virginians. I believe the word "pansies" came up. Our fortitude against weather isn't our strength. Go to Wisconsin for that sort of human endurance. We'll sleep in and eat our Survival French Toast.

And make tiny snowmen! Having only a foot of snow to work with presents a challenge when it comes to the height of your snowman.

A failed snowman outside the President's House


















An attempt with better structural design, also in Ancient Campus outside the President's House. This example is actually a single pile of snow tapering to the top and ridges dug in to suggest separate pieces. Clever. Only at W&M.

And notice the Cheese Shop bag in the corner. True Tribe Pride, there. Yum!

Welcome, Spring Semester 2010

How can you tell classes have started at W&M?

Play the game I fondly call "Count the Coffees".

Four Coffees (i.e. fifth class session of MATH 104 at 9:00am)

As any college student knows, those first few classes don't actually count. Professors are just reading syllabi, learning names, and half the students present won't be taking any the class by the next session.

However, when the coffee cups come out, the academic endeavors have started. One or two coffees are negligible because there's always that guy who can't even walk without an appropriate dose of caffeine, but once you get above "a couple"/"a few" and into "several" coffee cups appearing in a single class, the semester has begun.

(Exception to the rule: 8am classes. Either the students are caffeine-run, or "morning people", and the latter is likely just a myth.)

Friday morning, when I looked up saw four coffee cups without even turning my head, I knew it's time to actually pay attention.

Happy Beginning-of-the-Semester, W&M.

Fall 2009 Retrospect: Turkey Bowling

Logo of the Underdog Sports League of Portland's Big Turkey Bowling
(i.e. the least ridiculous turkey bowling logo I could find)

November 22nd, 2009: RHA Turkey Bowling

Anyone familiar with Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends: a love story will also be familiar with the noble sport of Turkey Bowling, as played by the Animals of the Safeway night shift. Pick up your 12-pound Butterball, line up ten diet sodas at the end of the aisle, and let the bird fly, so to speak. (The diet soda part is important. Diet sodas are easier to clean up than sugary sodas. The residue's not as sticky with diet sodas, so keep that in mind when you plan to make a turkey-related mess.)

Thank the Great Gobbler that W&M is just as nerdy as I am, because the Residence Hall Association held a turkey bowling championship.

Irene Morrison-Moncure, Class of 2011,
the championship winner, hurling her bird.

Held in the Crim Dell meadow, competitors could enter with a donation of a canned good for charity and bowl a fowl to win Wawa gift cards. And with finals only a few weeks away, Wawa gift cards are like gold. Thanks to the 24-hour Wawa on Richmond Road, W&M students live on Wawa foodstuffs, particularly during finals.

The pins, prior to their meleagrine destruction.

Competitors lobbed their birds down the lane at water bottles (decorated in Thanksgiving decor, of course), sending plastic bottles and frozen birds spinning into the frosty November grass, and fun was had by all.

However, just before I left at the end of the festivities, I discovered an atrocious deception made by these RHA representatives:

Oh, horror! Not a Cornish Broiler Chicken!

The birds were CHICKENS, not turkeys! So what if chickens are probably cheaper and definitely easier to throw? Their bird of bowling was inaccurately advertised! That's some heinous f*ckery most foul right there.

Happy Thanksgiving, William & Mary.

Strike!