If you haven’t noticed yet, it’s cold out. The general unfriendliness of the outdoors, however, is not my main concern. This is a solvable problem: with warm layers, one can overcome the cold (if you haven’t established a system yet, I believe in you!). The real issue is what happens upon entering a building. There are, to my knowledge, three ways that can go.
First, the ideal situation: you take off your coat and you are at the perfect temperature. This, unfortunately, should be categorized as a fairy tale. Because no building on campus — academic or otherwise — is ever a reasonable temperature.
Each day, when I walk into class, I come to the realization that Carleton heating is unique. It is interesting. It is an adventure discovering what temperature each classroom will be as I walk into it.
The fundamental problem is that many classrooms are significantly too warm. They might be a reasonable temperature for summer, when you can wear shorts and bring a sweater; they might be a reasonable temperature for fall or spring when you can wear a normal shirt. In this arctic weather, however, these are not feasible outfit options unless one aspires to becoming Frosty the Snowman the Second during the journey from Sayles to Leighton. If we rule out popsiclehood as the goal of getting to class, it becomes necessary to, as I previously mentioned, wear layers. Warm layers. Many of them.
This creates a problem: I rarely walk into class hoping to remove twenty-two-and-a-half layers all while listening to my professor because it’s slippery outside so it took longer to get to class than expected and now I’m late and hoping my hair hasn’t frozen (side note: if you’re ever wondering whether your hair has frozen, it’s already too late and I wish you the best of luck). And so, the options you are left with are boiling like a small overripe turnip or removing a truly ridiculous number of layers.
Or the room is too cold, like the Libe and Sayles usually are, in which case you’ll be cold and shriveled and sad. Would not recommend.
This leaves only one option: a blanket.
The best way to avoid the layering problem and the temperature problem is to bring an easily removable warm layer. An added bonus is how cozy and comfy and fluffy the aforementioned layer is. In addition to a coat, students would be warmer on the journey to class if they wrapped themselves in a nice soft blanket. And then, upon arrival to class, students can choose whether to continue to wrap themselves in their blanket (which contributes to improved classroom vibes) or whether to remove their blanket (which allows them to use it as a seat cushion or perhaps a room divider to avoid hearing the voices of students they would rather not listen to). The solution of bringing a blanket to class empowers students to avoid the issues of too warm or too cold classrooms, all while providing them with significantly increased contentment.
Blankets are the best, and snuggliest, way to regulate your temperature. What more could you ask for?
