Beware Possession by the Spring Spirit

If you were out and about last weekend, you likely noticed a perceptible change in the air. The sun was shining, people were actually smiling as they walked about (and not just shuffling around and wailing despondently up at the usually-gray sky), and music played softly across the Main Green. Yes, the weather is changing. If you’re like me, any second of sunshine may, at face value, appear to be a valid excuse for throwing all of your responsibilities out the window and basking on a towel all day, remarking upon how it’s been so long since the nice weather that you don’t even remember what the sun looks like!However, you must steel yourself against the nefarious impact of pleasant weather. Yes, the warmth is a welcome change, but the sun is a real trickster. Here are some risks you should be aware of before you grab your towel and your cute new sunglasses to gallivant on the main green.First off, the sun itself is hypnotic. If you glance up at it for an extended period of time, you’ll either become blind, or you’ll be tricked into forgetting every major assignment you have coming up. In fact, if you feel the rays of sunshine upon your Vitamin D-deprived skin for too long, you'll forget about being a student altogether. Since I’m pretty sure this semester’s tuition is non-refundable at this point, that’s not really an option.The sun also has a way of tricking people into exploring some seriously interesting creative ventures. As soon as the temperature inches above 60 degrees, it seems that every other person is overwhelmed by the impulse to dart around the green with a dance troupe, or to perform unexplainable performance art, or to become a professional street busker and sing their heart out on Thayer Street. The warmth of spring can infiltrate your soul and convince you that you have no choice but to share your newfound happiness through creative expression. That’s really nice, but if every other person chooses to sprawl out on Thayer and play the bongos and sing boisterously all day, the cacophony of sound will be too much. The volume of performances alone gives one the impression that you can’t turn your head without glancing upon someone swinging a hula hoop around their neck while playing the accordion. Another risk of the warmth is that some people deem it acceptable to strut around shoeless. While it may be nice to ditch the sneakers while you’re chilling out on the green, your professors probably don’t want any close ups of your feet when you sit in the front row at lecture.Lastly, the most dangerous of all spring weather risks is the natural inclination for people to fall asleep anywhere and everywhere. While nothing feels nicer than dozing off to sleep under the burgeoning summer sun, I do fear the possibility of falling asleep on the main green and being left behind. I can think of nothing more startling than waking up on the ground and being surrounded by little twitchy Providence squirrels. Please beware of this form of seasonally-based hypnosis. As one of my friends said recently, the sudden incoming of nice weather is the seasonal equivalent of a blue moon; It brings out all sorts of questionable behaviors. So, be safe in these upcoming days and remember that, first and foremost, you're student who belongs holed up in a library somewhere.