by Commuter reporters Elanor Greaves and Briana Wortmann outline how NCC students come to grips with the isolation winter can bring.
Cabin fever grips NCC students battling the snow, ice and freezing temperatures that have crippled much of the East Coast, making this one of the worst winters in recent memory.
“It’s making me go crazy. I hate being stuck inside,” said Sam McMaster, a General Studies student from Bath.
Meteorologists reported in February that more than 66 inches of snow had fallen in the Lehigh Valley since December, a fact that doesn’t sit well with Mark Drabich, a Theatre major who commutes from Milford, N.J.
“The snow is preventing me from meeting up with my friends, fishing, and just hanging outside,” he complained.
Asked about driving in snow, he said, “I’m too worried about having to shovel my driveway or getting my truck out. If I can’t drive in the snow, then I can’t go anywhere. ”
We are only a few weeks away from the official start of spring, but most weather forecasts predict frigid temperatures will remain for a while yet.
That’s not good news for Cody Wargo, a General Studies major.
“It prevents pretty much any outdoor activity I enjoy,” he said. “I like playing basketball, but it’s definitely not as fun indoors.”
For first-year medical student Dana Miller, it’s hard to find motivation in winter, and it disrupts her routine.
“The weather sucks, my body hurts, and I’m tired,” Miller said.
Kaitlyn Coiro, a first-year Nursing student agreed. “It makes me lazy, and I don’t want to exercise,” she said. “I like to eat a lot like a bear hibernating. It also makes me irritable because of the cold and lack of sun and warmth.”
Some students find themselves not wanting to do anything at all.
“When it’s cold out, I don’t feel like getting out of bed,” Jahbri Hargrove said.
Aside from winter affecting student motivation, it disrupts daily routines due to class cancellations.
“It’s throwing off my routine since classes were canceled,” said Joel Figueroa, a Radio/TV major.
Mother Nature has also caused road safety issues, especially since NCC is a commuter
school.
“I feel safe, but not around campus,” said Figueroa, who lives on the other side of Bethlehem.
Road safety not only affects students getting to classes safely, but also getting anywhere in general.
“Sometimes I might want to go out, but sometimes I have to change my mind because of the weather,” Michael Jones groused.
On the plus side, it’s nearly spring break, right?
Oh, wait. At NCC, spring break is just another casualty of winter’s snowball effect.
