We’ve begun to enter the doldrums of winter, with grey skies and fewer activities to do. Winter depression is beginning to set in with no end in sight. Thankfully, Winter Whirl on January 31, offering a night of fun and dancing. 

I think Whirl helps break up the time in between the end of winter break and spring break, giving students a fun night to hang out with friends and get all dressed up. Personally, I find joy in almost every part of the experience, from searching for a dress and heels to coordinating colors with my friends and planning the entire night. It creates excitement long before the dance even happens. 

While Whirl may not have the same atmosphere as Homecoming and Prom, especially with the cold weather and nights, it still offers something for everyone to look forward to. It may not come with the warm air or outdoor photos, but I think having something to look forward to is better than nothing. In a season that can feel draining, having just one night to dress up, dance, and celebrate makes the long wait for spring a little bit easier.

Coming off of winter break, you think the teachers would ease you back into the school work, quizzes, and tests. But every year, I am hit with the harsh reality of the second semester being busier and harder. I find that the three main months of winter, January, February, and March, are arguably the longest months of the year, despite February being only 28 days. I, as a student and winter athlete, am drowning in a to-do list, Practices, and busy after-school schedules. The things that keep me motivated are what I am looking forward to, such as spring break, spring sports, warm weather, and of course, summer, all of which are after the winter months. This is why I think whirl is great, and I want to be able to look forward to it, plan it with my friends, pick out a pretty dress, and book all of the fun appointments, such as hair, nails, and of course, the inevitable spray tan. But with whirl being at the end of January, I simply don’t have time to even look forward to it. And after whirl my brain immediately goes to another long two months of nothing but cold winter. Which is why I think winter should be in the middle of February, giving us a good buffer of time before and after whirl, to settle into the second semester and not be left high and dry with nothing to do for the rest of winter.