How to Avoid the Winter Blues

Winter can be a tricky time at K. With overcast skies and cold weather, people sometimes get Seasonal Affective Disorder – but luckily, the health and counseling centers both offer a solution to that – light therapy! In addition to offering lamps that help treat SAD, the campus life stays incredibly busy, so there is never a dull moment.

Right now on campus, food issues are HUGE! The school has had the same company (Sodexo) for its cafeteria for the past 44 years, and is now opening the bid to two other providers: Bon Appetit and Creative Dining. All of the dining service providers are leading public presentations and discussions for students, faculty and community members. This is in an effort to educate the Kalamazoo community about how each company wants to cater to issues like sustainability, local foods, fresh foods and variety – details to come later!

In addition to the food issues on campus, study abroad applications were just turned in by the majority of the sophomore class! I applied for the (Varanasi) India program, whereas some of my close friends applied to the (Caceres) Spain, (Claremont) France and (Aberdeen) Scotland programs! It’s an exciting time for all of us sophomores, and Declaration of Major Day is quickly approaching too!

There are basketball games to attend, campus speakers, free dance lessons sponsored by the Living Learning Houses and Wind-Down-Wednesdays to go to during the winter to keep us students from getting the blues. I also just recently learned that the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts is showing a month-long series called “Up Close”, in which Pablo Picasso’s work is being exhibited, so I””””ll definitely have to make a trip downtown to see that!