[one_half]Overrated – Zane Nogueras

Considered by many as the most wonderful time of the year, the holiday season brings family gatherings, gift giving and the beginning of the new year. There is, however, one thing that comes with the holiday season that does not bring laughter nor cheer: the cold weather. As a kid, it was always fun to shovel the snow off the driveway, build snowmen and throw some snowballs at your friends on a snow day, but as an adult, it becomes apparent the positives do not outweigh the vast negatives.

Driving in the snow and on icy roads is hell, with accidents and traffic being more prevalent after even light dustings. Patches of black ice are easy to miss, resulting in skidding which can lead to accidents. Additionally, the cold also forces everyone to drive instead of taking alternative travel methods such as walking or biking, resulting in even more traffic on the hazardous streets. Even more, salt used to keep the roads clear from snow can significantly damage cars, with the most common vehicular issue being significant rusting from exposure to salt.

While many people believe extreme heat is worse than the cold, at least heat won’t directly cause pain. Cases of heat stroke are extremely rare, so it’s likely the worst thing that will happen in the heat is you sweat, provided you are not outside for long periods of time. Having exposed skin in the cold, however, will damage skin over time, and in some cases will result in frostbite. The cold also kills significantly more people than the heat, even though more people live in extreme heat rather than in extreme cold. Cold weather forces your body to work harder to keep you warm, increasing risk of heart attack and other circulatory problems. 

The worst part about cold weather is the large changes in temperature. No matter how many layers you wear, exiting a warm building and getting hit with the first gust of wind on a cold day will feel uncomfortable, leaving you shivering. Even if you aren’t sweating underneath all of the layers, entering a building after being outside long enough will result in sweating, no matter how quickly you can take layers off.

Overall, the cold hard facts show that cold weather is hyped up a little too much. People attach great memories to the cold since it falls at the same time as the holiday season, but in reality, those holidays would be the same, if not better, on a warm summer day. There’s a reason people tend to travel away from the cold than towards it. While the occasional snowfall can be enjoyable, the difficulties in travel outside, the costs of staying warm and the dangers of the weather itself demonstrate why cold weather should be put on ice.

[one_half]Underrated – Christian Kielbowicz

It’s mid-July, the temperature just hit the triple digits and you have to walk to the bus stop on the way to work. You wonder how many layers of deodorant you should put on to keep the sweat from drenching through your shirt. With an undershirt, you can hide the embarrassing dark spots that’ll inevitably show through your underarms, but that would only make it feel a hundred degrees hotter. Hot weather is plain uncomfortable, no matter how you dress or what you do. Cold weather, on the other hand, is something you can prepare for. With enough layers of clothing, even subzero temperatures can feel like a walk in the park. 

Along with cold weather comes a whole new lineup of fashion choices that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Nice jackets, hoodies, long sleeve shirts and more comfortable clothing finally get put on the list of available clothes to wear, along with hats, gloves and scarves. 

The best outfits also go with the natural beauty of the surroundings. In the fall, leaves turn every shade of red and orange, turning an otherwise monochrome forest into a canvas full of brilliant hues. In the winter, while these leaves are gone, snow makes everything feel much more serene and peaceful, which is more than welcome on a stressful school day.

A snow day is a relaxing time to catch up on schoolwork drinking cocoa in your dorm. If you want to go out, you can enjoy a snowball fight or build a snowman decorated with traffic cones. Additionally, activities like sledding and skiing are only possible with a healthy amount of snow.

Fall and winter also have the best holidays of the year. Halloween is a great opportunity to watch a scary movie or dress up and go to a party with your friends. Thanksgiving allows a four-day weekend to recover from classes and spend time with family pigging out and watching football, which is closely followed by Black Friday. Even if you can’t afford to buy items yourself, surely relatives can provide those wishes, since Christmastime comes with nothing but good tidings and happy faces. 

Last but certainly not least, the reason cold weather is uncontestably the best is BUGS—or the lack thereof. Mosquitos are the nuisance that ruins summer’s bonfires and camping trips. Being able to walk freely through your backyard without getting swarmed by a thousand mosquitos makes any climate bearable. If the rest of the reasons weren’t enough, the break from insects for a couple of months should be enough to make everyone appreciate cold weather.