There’s just something about Spring. Yes, I realize that technically the first day of the season was over a month ago, but in reality, it hasn’t felt like Spring until about last Wednesday, when the torrential rains finally ceased. And oh, what a difference it has made!
Sure, the arrival of Spring means that final exams, allergies, and weird-looking bugs are back too, but the benefits of the season far outweigh these inconveniences.
People look better in Spring. I don’t know what it is – the longer daylight hours, perhaps, that have transformed drawn faces and pale limbs into glowing smiles and radiant bodies. Or it may be that with the extra sunshine, people are working out more often, shedding the excesses of a lazy winter. Or perhaps it’s the vibrant colors of the latest Spring fashions that make the difference (if you haven’t acquired yours yet, check out our special section this week…)
The benefits of Spring’s onset are not just skin deep, either. People are nicer now, too. Remember when we first arrived on campus, how eager we were to meet each other, and how excited we were to learn about every one of our new classmates? Well, after existing solely within our own social circles for the last five months, students are once again interested in reaching out to make new friends. From saying hello to strangers on the way to class to greeting that-person-you-spoke-with-once-in-Foundations in Spangler and Shad, everyone on campus seems to have renewed energy and enthusiasm.
Spring fever has even spread to the faculty – professors who previously unleashed harsh reprimands on the tardy and cold-called without abandon are now cracking jokes about late arrivals and even opening class with volunteers.
And it’s not just inside HBS. I have noticed a sharp decline in the number of cab drivers turning left from the right-most lanes, accompanied by a decrease in honking by those who still practice this maneuver (after all, it is your fault that these cars have to cut you off to make the turn), and an increase in the number of friendly conversations taking place between strangers on the T.
So enjoy it while it lasts – stop to smell the fresh-blooming flowers and don’t ignore that voice inside your head that says, “I think I need the afternoon off.” Go sit under a tree, play softball, or take a canoe out on the Charles. Cases and job searches and packing/moving will all be there when you return home, and you just might accomplish these tasks more quickly once you’re re-energized. – Anne Ristau, EIC
