Molly Tumanic

Students typically hike the hill umpteen times going to early and late-night class, sporting events in Zorn and house parties.

Now, after enduring freezing temperatures, curling up with a comedy seems more enjoyable than being found “In Da Club,” as artist 50 Cent would say.

Last week, those freezing temperatures nipping at the nose of every UW-Eau Claire student took a nosedive. Friday morning, alarm clock stereos blasted sleepy students with a cold dose of reality as the Light FM DJ light-heartedly rattled off school closings, her co-host announced the high that day would be negative five degrees.

” … It’s a balmy 36 below,” a WIAL 94.1 DJ informed listeners before he jokingly added temperatures would rise Sunday, (Literally, as the sun was predicted to shine).

Holy cow – yes, cow. This is Wisconsin – it’s 36 below.

A radio station played OutKast’s “Hey Ya” early that freezing Friday. Their famous “What’s cooler than being cool?” lyric no doubt echoed through the minds of students shaking “like a Polaroid picture” all the way down the polarized, ice-cold hill.

“I’ve been down here since 9 (a.m.),” sophomore Chris Andringa said. “I’m trying to avoid walking up the hill more than once a day.”

While some students dread the hill completely, sophomore Sarah Tanguay said she doesn’t mind hiking the hill “for the exercise part.” This kind of exercise only becomes a problem when she thinks she’s going to die because she can’t breathe, she said.

The cold affects a majority of students’ treks up and down the hill.

“I’m making sure that I’m completely bundled up,” freshman Krystal De Greeff said of how she survives the hill hike. Freshman Alex Woita agreed.

“I’m just trying to bundle up more.” She said crossing the footbridge “is a real killer.”

Sophomore Hiedi Irwin said she dresses in layers and avoids the cool winter air at all costs … a cost that isn’t much for students opting to wait in line for the free city bus shuffling students to and from their places of residence.

“I’ve been taking the bus, because I walked one day and it was really cold,” Irwin said. “I live on Niagara … it’s a 20 minute walk, which I don’t mind doing in decent weather … even winter time. But when it’s this cold …”

Andringa noted buses are crowded even during decent weather, so the possible tight squeeze isn’t a problem. He joked the campus should invest in heated bus stations. De Greeff agreed the bus is a convenient and cozy alternative.

“My class gets done at 4:45,” she said, “and since the bus leaves at ten to … it’s convenient.”

On the other hand (or mitten, to be technical), she said, “If I’m waiting longer than 10 minutes, I’ll walk, because I could be up the hill by that time.”

Freshman Ashley Kludt agreed.

“Usually if I take the bus, I’ll only take it if it’s going to be there right after class,” she said. “I won’t wait around for it.”

Those fortunate enough to avoid the groups waiting for a ride or the traffic of troopers trailing up the hill in favor of driving wheels of their own have discovered the chilling temperatures aren’t doing them any favors.

“I have a really old car and the heat doesn’t work really well,” Irwin said. “When I go home, I have to put blankets in it. The doors don’t close all the way. I get kind of a draft.” She said, however, that to her surprise, her car has started this week.

Junior Zach Szewczyk received a surprise of his own Friday morning when his car didn’t start.

He said he enjoys winter, as long as his car is running. He recently joined the 40 students snowboarding in Steamboat, Colo. The Recreation Center organized the event, and Szewczyk said he recommends the trip to anyone interested.

“I enjoy winter,” Andringa said. “I went skiing a few times. I go ice fishing.”

“I like just the setting of winter,” De Greeff said. “The cold is a downside of that.”

Freshman Lacey Stein agreed she really likes winter just to play in the snow. Stein said she snowmobiles and enjoys winter.

So does Kludt – most of the time.

” … As long as it’s not cold like this. This is terrible!” Kludt said.

The 94.1 DJ agreed the weather was terrible as he proceeded just to play tunes around noon Saturday. “I hate to say the word, but now it’s (artist) Coldplay,” he informed listeners. At the time, Eau Claire’s Web site read the temperature was negative six degrees.

Whether students are weathering the temperatures by bundling up while walking or waiting for the bus, playing winter sports or avoiding the cool air all together, the positive side is that being “ice cold” is “cooler than being cool.”