If you live in Eastern New England, the last few weeks have truly been the winter of our discontent (unless you’re my snow-loving dog).
As “Blizzard Neptune” roars outside, 2014-15 has already become Boston’s third snowiest winter since recordkeeping began in 1891. More than 90—yes, ninety—inches of snow (and counting) have dumped on us so far, much of it since January 28. Since then, two blizzards and two nor’easters (think of them as meteorological siblings, both pack an icy punch) have crushed us in rapid succession. There was even a burst of snow thunder. Think about that: snow thunder!
Logan, the Tufts Admissions Mascot, braves the latest winter storm with the help of his trusty red jacket. |
February 2015 is officially the snowiest month in the (recorded) history of Boston, and this tiniest of months still has a full two weeks to run. So. Much. Snow. (The 18 applicants from Alaska and the eleven from Norway shouldn’t mind my chatter about Mother Nature’s frosty fury but I’m probably freaking out the 85 Hawaiians… Aloha, friends. Remember, snow is fun when you don’t have to shovel it or drive in it.)
But I’m an optimist. This winter bonanza—and the four University closings it triggered as we keep digging out—offers lots of quality time with my pooch and with all of you. Even when the snowdrifts are over my head and the wind chill is thirty below zero, it’s hard to be lonely when there are 19,063 high school seniors to meet. I might be housebound in a blizzard but there are plenty of visitors in my online application queue. I pour a cup of licorice mint tea (the best!) and read until the power blinks out. (So far, so good on that front.)
The snowfall isn’t the only wintery record of note. At Tufts, we tied last year’s record for the most applications we’ve received—to be precise, we were 11 short of that all-time high so it’s a virtual tie—so there is lots to read. On any given (snow) day, 30 of you flicker across my iMac as I read personal statements (I got teary yesterday as I read a minute-by-minute, poignant account of a dog’s last moments…) and teacher recommendations (they like you!) and as I update our academic evaluations with mid-year grades (oh, BC calculus...).
The blizzard inspired me to investigate any wintery connections to our applicant pool. No one named “Winter” applied to Tufts’ Class of 2019 but there are six students from Winter Park, Florida and four named Snow. (Appropriately, three of them hail from New England.) And—much to my surprise, since I wondered if it was too soon for this to happen—five gals named Elsa applied to Tufts! They should feel right at home if our snowy history repeats itself next year.
Time to shovel…