Connecticut College is home to students from all over the globe. While it may feel like the majority of us feed from New England, plenty of students come from outside of this six-state bubble. New England is known for its pristine and picturesque winters which are accompanied by bitter cold. Many Conn students aren’t used to these teeth-chattering winters; they come from warmer states or countries around the world. So, how does a student who’s never had a winter that’s dropped below 60 degrees Fahrenheit handle the Northeast cold? How does a student whose winters have consisted of 90 Fahren- heit heat waves and beach days prepare for a winter in New England?
Eli Craddock ‘26 from Austin, Texas is getting ready to handle the challenge. An average day in Texas for him is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas a typical winter for him might drop down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and rarely hit the 30s or 40s, but it never involves snow. This cold starts for him in December and usually lasts until the end of January. Craddock takes trips with his family to Nebraska, where he’s experienced what a cold winter is like, but never for longer than a week.
“I like to layer, but I’m not a huge fan of the cold,” Craddock says. “I think [a New England winter] is going to be pretty rough for me the first time around. I feel like I will be fine, but I know that it’s going to get really cold, so it’s just going to be hard to get myself out of bed, put on a lot of clothes, and walk to class in the snow.”
In Texas, Craddock usually wears shorts in the winter, and occasionally pants. In preparation for a winter up in Connecticut, he has bought more pairs of pants and winter gear, such as coats. The activity he’s most looking forward to this winter is sledding, which will be a first-time experience for him. He’s most scared about walking to Harris in the cold, as a non-Plex resident.
Heading east from Texas, Marcus Shestack ‘26 is from Miami, Florida. Year- round in Florida, temperatures range from 80 degrees Fahrenheit to the 100s. In the winter, it says on the lower end of that, while in the summer, it frequently breaks 100. Shestack has only been in snow once, so in preparation for a winter at Conn, he bought a winter jacket for the first time and already has plans to drink hot coffee to keep him warm this winter. He’s also looking forward to ice skating. “I’m excited to see snow,” Shestack said “I’m loving fall right now. I’ve never seen the leaves change, and I think it’s beautiful. I’m excited to ex- perience the atmosphere and environ- ment in winter.”
Now, surfing on over to the West Coast, Isabelle Di Liberti ‘26 is origi- nally from San Diego, California and lives there when she’s not at Conn. But, she’s lived all over, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Belgium. She’s experienced a West Coast, Midwest, East Coast, and Northern European winter, but has yet to seea New England one.
“I feel very underprepared for the winter,” Di Liberti says. “People have told me about varying temperatures [they have experienced in the winter at Conn], so I don’t know what to expect. But, considering I get cold when it reaches 50 [degrees Fahrenheit], I’m a little worried.”
To prepare for the winter, Di Liberti plans to bundle up with lots of wool, her winter coat, and a few turtlenecks. While she can’t wait for the thrills of snow and sledding, she’s not looking forward to the dreaded snow sludge and bitter cold wind. Regardless of where they’re from, every student at Conn can look forward to a fun- filled, yet frigid winter. Students who haven’t experienced the cold in New England yet can expect lots of surprises: some picturesque, exhilarating, elegant, and crystalline, but some not as delightful. As long as you’ve got a winter coat, gloves, and some wool socks or hat, this winter should be a blast. •
