Seasonal Feature

Sunbathers on the St. John’s University Great Lawn

It’s hard to believe this year’s Groundhog Day predicted an early spring.

Unlike last year, March 2013 has brought a colder, windier, and snowier launch to spring that has persuaded us to leave out the scarves and long coats for a little longer.

So the sudden boost of temperature this week was more than welcomed.

For St. John’s the warm weather translates to a popular trend that has been delayed for what seems like way too long: sunbathing.

Happy clusters of students began scattering across the Great Lawn and in front of St. Augustine yesterday afternoon, an area that has remained barren for much of the semester, after the weather was suddenly forecasted to reach 80 degrees.

With only one month left in the semester, students anxiously gathered outside to take advantage of the sunshine.

“I was laying up there for like an hour just soaking up the sun,” said sophomore Liliana Davi.

According to AccuWeather, temperatures reached a whopping 78 degrees in March 2012 where March of this year did not even reach 60 degrees.

Freshman Justin Kaufman expressed his disappointment with the late arrival of warm weather.

“What is it April 8th and this is the first nice day that we have been outside enjoying it,” he said while lying on his stomach, shoeless and in shorts.

Nonetheless, he enjoys the renewed energy of the campus, stating he loves going outside and seeing everybody ‘alive’ while playing sports and getting involved.

Beside him in floral pants and sunglasses, indicative of the excitement of the changing weather, Andrea Gould also magnified on the rising spirit at St. John’s.

“In the winter everyone was hibernating, now the first real sunny day everyone is out….it’s such a different feel when the sun comes out on campus.”

The consistent flow of incoming students laying out their blankets on the vast, sun-lit turf sharply contrasted their restless racing from building to building to escape the windy wintry weather just last week.

So Gould guaranteed she would stay sunbathing for a few more hours.

Nicolette Cascio highlighted the fact she has to go shopping now in light of the abrupt but much awaited arrival of the spring.

Davi quickly reacted exclaiming she is tired of wearing black. Looking down at her black blouse, she grudgingly admitted she hadn’t allowed herself to go shopping because of the unpromising weather.

“I went to the store and it was snowing,” she said. “But the clothes had flowers and bright colors. And I thought I can’t buy this stuff yet.”

And just as another student swooped beside her to catch a football, Cascio staggered to say students also love playing sports on the Great Lawn.

Frisbees and footballs flew above the now abundant accumulation of sunbathers across the lawn, still tainted with surrounding lifeless trees that have not yet received their full share of nourishment from the sunshine.

“The spring definitely came late this year but it’s here and we are enjoying it,” Kaufman said confidently.