Six ways Davis will spring joy to your life this quarter
If you’re a student reading this, then let me just start off with an apology:
I am so sorry.
Yes, it’s true, spring break is indeed over. Instead of soaking up the sun with your favorite iced Starbucks beverage faithfully by your side like you have been for the past week, you’re probably sitting in your room or an on-campus lounge somewhere right now, trying desperately to avoid the influx of school-related emails plaguing your inbox. However demoralizing it might be to think about another 10 whole weeks of school work ahead of you, springtime for us Aggies isn’t actually as bad as you might assume.
Here are a few quintessential Davis springtime things that will help you get over those post spring break blues.
1. Say goodbye to that North Face jacket
It’s time to say a ceremonious goodbye to your cherished North Face jacket – you won’t be needing it anytime soon. Get out those shorts, skirts, tanks and springtime clothes which have been waiting so patiently to be worn; this is their time to shine. Just try to make sure your outfit is bike-riding appropriate of course; although certain skirts can be very inviting on a nice sunny day, you don’t want to end up sunny-side up because of a little bit of spring wind. And by the way, that North Face jacket hanging at the back of your closet – you shouldn’t feel guilty about the several months of neglect that are coming its way because believe me, it’s happy for you.
2. Slacklining on the Quad
Slacklining is every college student’s favorite activity, but this college student activity is taken to a new level in Davis during the spring. Walk by the Quad at any time of the day on any day of the week and you’re guaranteed to see at least one or two slacklines in the vicinity. There are always a few barefoot students trying fiercely to take more than one step without falling, and then there are those students who like to sit on the Quad and bet on how many steps they’ll take before falling.
3. Picnic Day (obviously)
Groups of students stumbling clumsily around town in their bathing suits from party to party, music blasting from the backyard of almost every house down Anderson Road, hundreds of families walking happily on the Quad with little kids riding mini bikes and sporting “Go Aggies” t-shirts, outrageously long lines to try to milk a cow, the Doxie Derby craze, late afternoon nap-time…yes, Picnic Day is just about as Davis-y as it gets in the spring.
4. Houseboats
Even though it is mainly applicable to fraternities, sororities and various other university groups, Houseboats is still widely known as the epitome of a springtime college activity. A few days on a boat in the sun with friendly people, water slides, loud music, burgers, bathing suits, a lot of alcohol and not a lot of hygiene is exactly what every student wants out of their college springtime experience, right?
5. The Arboretum
This is about the time of year when the arboretum really likes to show off and remind us why Davis is basically one of the most beautiful schools ever. If you’re a couple weeks into spring and you haven’t caught the Davis spring-fever yet, then you probably haven’t visited the arb — which boasts everything you could ever want out of nature in the spring: blooming flowers, bounteous trees, green grass, a sparkling lake, little ducklings, you name it!
6. That light at the end of the tunnel
If somehow, none of the above have convinced you that Davis is a pretty fantastic place to be in the springtime, then hopefully this will at least comfort you. Just think of spring as nearing the light at the end of the tunnel – a countdown to summer. Yes, you’re back at school, but you only have a total of ten weeks left until you reach the end of the tunnel, and when you do, you’ll be springing with absolute joy.
Photos by Anisa Bashiri.
