East Lansing weather has given MSU one last shot at enjoying the outdoors before it must fight the winter.
Many students could be seen taking advantage of the weather Thursday. Footballs and Frisbees were being thrown, coats were dragged and students were walking, instead of driving, to class.
Several members of MSU’s Ultimate Frisbee team, including engineering arts junior Aaron Bongard and accounting senior Andrew Campbell, were also taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather.
“Being members of the Ultimate Frisbee team, this is great because we can practice outside comfortably,” Bongard said. “It’s fantastic weather.”
Both members said they’ll take the nice weather and Campbell said he hopes the weather will last until March.
Local businesses are also taking advantage of the warm weather.
Lauren Dean, an elementary education sophomore who works at MSU Dairy Store, said business has been busier.
“It’s probably up over 25 to 30 percent,” she said. “We’ve had a lot more ice cream sales.”
Dean said she thinks the store, which temporarily closes over Christmas break, has been busy because of the nice weather.
Other businesses have also benefited from the weather. Adam Grosch, an apprentice golf professional at Forest Akers, located on Mount Hope Road east and west of Harrison Avenue, said the course’s business has been up lately because of the warm weather.
“I think right now this is going to be the big weekend,” he said.
However, campus should begin to get ready for a big change. Kevin Green, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, said temperatures will drop 30 degrees next week.
“A strong cold front will move through the state Sunday,” he said. “Next week looks colder than normal. Temperatures will moderate some the weekend after Thanksgiving.”
Some MSU personnel have already begun preparation for the winter. Bob Ellison, who works on MSU’s Grounds Maintenance crew, said the crew is trying to finish its plant protection before the snow hits.
“Last year, I was the one saying, ‘come on snow, let it snow,’” he said. “Well, it snowed. They said, ‘Bob you jinxed us.’”
