The last thing I want to write about is the weather, but in light of today's wonderful temperate climate and the fact I stood outside in it for two hours without any jacket, I feel it must be addressed. Being from Texas, my idea of cold weather came once a year when my family would go to Colorado for two weeks each Christmas. One year it got into the teens. It was awful. Another year I can remember playing an agonizing lacrosse game where the temperature was in the 30s and it was sleeting. I never thought it would get any worse than that.
When I started looking at colleges, I wanted big sports and a large body of water nearby, preferably a warm body of water. Then I wound up at Notre Dame. Don't get me wrong though, I love Notre Dame.
At first, I even loved the weather. I liked South Bend's version of summer. It was a pleasant change from the heat of Texas. I loved when the leaves changed. I was the first one outside for the first snowfall. And the second. But that was when it was still relatively warm and the snow was still new enough to be seen as beautiful.
At Christmas, I raved to my friends about the seasons, how winter was not at bad as we'd been warned. It was 80 degrees at home the day I left for spring semester, at the time I couldn't wait to get back to the beautiful winter wonderland of Notre Dame.
That's when the real winter came. Where the 20s, the 30s, even the teens really were an oasis of warmth. There were mornings I'd wake up and the temperatures were lower than I imagined was possible outside of Antarctica.
One night as I walked home I wore both my guy friend's and my parka. It was negative 40 with windchill that night. Lovely. It was a little after midnight and campus was dead. It was the fastest I've ever made it from North Quad to South. I might have even set a record. Too bad everyone else was smarter than to venture out or else they might have witnessed my amazing dash.
This year as the weather steadily descends on its downhill slope towards the worst weather and each day grows a little colder, I fill with dread. I still love Notre Dame. I hate the weather, but I love thee Notre Dame. Why do we do endure the cold though?
My answer came last week. After the Washington game, a game ringing true to South Bend's charming weather, I saw a little boy crying as his mom attempted to usher him out of the stadium. She begged him to stop crying so they could get to the car, saying, "You just got over pneumonia. I let you stay the whole game but I am your mother and now I say its time to go. You don't want to be sick do you?" He replied, "I'll never make it to Notre Dame if you make me leave, I have to be the last one here. I don't care if I'm sick."
Notre Dame students are very much like this little boy. We endure the weather. Not just for the games, but also for the school. To many, Notre Dame was a dream and now its finally come true. To others, they came and fell in love despite the weather. Still even if you aren't on the bandwagon, you aren't sure you love Notre Dame or can endure the weather, you take it. You take it because it's Notre Dame. And really, deep inside, you know its worth it. Notre Dame is infectious. You can't help but love it.
