Soakin’ up the sun

Winter has passed and taken with it the sweaters and the bulky jackets. Many are taking advantage of the spring season in Milledgeville, and with all the flowers adorning the campus and the excellent weather, students are busy tanning, sleeping, being outdoorsy, or just plain enjoying the weather.

Front campus is the center of this lively gathering when at all times of the day Frisbee games, tree climbing, napping, picnics and many other events take place.

Craig Bowers, a business major, is among the students who truly enjoy this season.

“It is almost summer time- the weather is beautiful, and it just feels great to be outside playing Frisbee,” Bowers said. “And the beautiful ladies of GCSU are out and about, so that’s a great plus.”

As for the women of GCSU, they really are out about enjoying the sun.

Lauren Medley, early childhood education major, and Jeanette Bowman, a psychology major, both said they enjoy relaxing in front of Napier’s reflection pool.

“Hey, it’s a great way to get a tan and relax. It’s a nice change from the dorms,” Medley said. “I’m just taking advantage of how gorgeous it is outside and the fact that it’s so nice out. It would be crazy to just want to stay in.”

Bowman also said the weather is providing a nice break from sitting inside.

“The dorms just seem like a prison when it’s so gorgeous outside,” Bowman said. “Why not take advantage of it and get
a tan? It’s good for your sanity.”

The upcoming summer season has, in fact, prompted plenty of students to skip classes or procrastinate. The temptation to be outside has even resulted in a Facebook “support” group, Sunny Day Procrastinators, comprised of more than 160 members.

Linsey Floyd, a junior and creator of Sunny Day Procrastinators, created the group in 2005.

“When I created the group with a few of my friends, I didn’t at all expect a lot of people to join,” Floyd said. “Facebook had just started at our school, so we didn’t know what to expect. We were just sitting outside one day attempting to do homework and thought it would be a funny group to start.”

Amy Tarleton, a sophomore general business major and a member of the group, said she definitely deserves a spot in this support group.

“I almost skipped a midterm just to go to Walter B. to play volleyball because it was so wonderful outside,” Tarleton said. “But I went and didn’t do all that well because who studies on sunny days? Not me!”

Some students, however, found a way to study and get a tan simultaneously.

Ladonna Perkins, a freshman, finds the outdoors not only as a place to tan and nap but also a good place to study.

“There are a lot of quiet places outside where you can study,” Perkins said. “I like to study right outside of Einstein’s because it’s just nice and quiet. You just have to pick the right spot.”

Like Perkins, Floyd learned to relocate and do both seemingly mismatched tasks together.

“Enjoying the nice weather is a must and it most definitely gets in the way of schoolwork,” Floyd said. “But that’s why you must take advantage of it, and do some homework outside.”

Students admit that there are consequences to procrastinating, which usually results in several all-nighter study sessions.

“I definitely had a Sunny Day Procrastinator’s moment. Instead of writing my paper, I went to watch the baseball team play,” Bowman said. “I figured I can just pull an all-nighter like most college students. It seems to work for me.”

Still, many people found a different way to approach the hot weather and turn it into something productive. With students out and about and staying on campus more, many groups and organizations found that this is the best time to have fundraisers.

The Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity recently had a bake sale by the A&S fountain.

John Andrejewski, a member of Phi Kappa Pi and organizer of the bake sale, said he believed that it is more practical to hold fundraisers at this time of year.

“There’s just a lot more people staying and enjoying themselves in front campus,” Andrejewski said. “And for us, that means a bigger crowd will be outside, and we’ll sell more stuff. And for a last minute fundraiser, it definitely worked.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 21 2006. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry