Oberlin gets the fever

Spring Break ended Sunday, but with this week's sunny weather many Oberlin students seemed to stay in the vacation spirit.

"Everyone is a lot more positive," senior Anthony Johnson said. "Weather is an intricate part of Oberlin life. When the weather is good, people are good with it. People also miss appointments. People don't care. At least now the weather is a good excuse."

Johnson is one of many students who seems to have caught the spring fever that has hit Oberlin. Students returning from break were greeted with temperatures around 70 degrees, an unusual phenomenon for Oberlin this time of year. The heat wave has resulted in students flocking to Wilder Bowl to bask in the sunshine. Some of them even bring their textbooks with them.

"Because you spend so much time sitting inside when it's butt-ass cold, it's a relief to breathe fresh air rather than the stale air of Mudd. You are able to concentrate more in fresh air," junior Dave Brennan said.

First-year Simon Nussbaum agrees. "It's about not being in a man-made enclosure; it's nature. During winter everyone is inside and brooding, while the spring allows all of that creative energy to come out."

For most students, though, the warm weather has provided an alternative to studying. Senior Jessica Larson, walking around Wilder Bowl Tuesday in a tank top and shades, seemed to think it was a day for being outdoors. "It's great to return to this. I feel like I have brought the good weather from Spring Break with me back to Oberlin," she said.

Senior Tigidanke Makgopela agreed. She said she had been "chillin' in the Bowl" for so long that she'd forgotten where she parked her car.

Makgopela wasn't the only one whose brain was affected by the sun. Sophomore Shannon Forney said, "I feel the fire in my belly coming alive. I'm gonna have to eat someone soon."

Although Oberlin students enjoyed the weather, for three-year-old Dorian Boye-Doe it had an adverse effect. Boye-Doe was sitting on the steps of Wilder playing with his toy tiger. He said he was tired of the many students who passed by and fawned over him. "People keep on coming up to me. I just want to play with my toy," he said.

If the hordes of students crowding Wilder Bowl annoyed Boye-Doe, they also bothered an ExCo professor for, strangely enough, a positive reason.

Contact Improvisation ExCo teacher senior Andrew Richardson said, "When the weather is warm, more people show up to my class that probably would not come if the weather was colder. It is nice to see everyone show up happy and ready to jam. I love the warm weather."

Many Oberlin students are discovering other advantages to the weather as well. Junior Aaron Bash said, "The best thing about spring is that you get to wear less clothes. You're loose and chillin'."

First-year Robyn Amador shares these sentiments. "People show more flesh in the spring. They are able to show more body language and interact with their bodies. There is more visual stimulation."

One student, in the process of being interviewed, was distracted by the approach of an attractive woman. "C'mon ... it's springtime," he said as he left to pursue the passing woman.

A walk in the park: Sophomore Maria Victoria Albina and senior Jessica DuBois walk through Wilder Bowl. (photos by Beth O'Brien)

Piggy-back ride anyone?: Students horse around in Wilder Bowl this week. The gorgeous weather captured the spirits of all students, as they trecked outdoors to soak up spring.