On January 23, the forecast warned us we’d get a foot of snow and be stuck inside for days. Honestly, that sounded dramatic enough. But then the storm actually hit, two full feet of snow, temperatures plunging into the negatives, and wind that felt like it could peel your face off. At first, it felt like punishment from the universe. I was convinced I’d be stuck indoors, wrapped in blankets, questioning every life choice that led me to the Midwest.

But as the hours passed and the snow kept piling up, something shifted. The campus transformed into this bright, lively place, and suddenly the idea of being stuck inside felt ridiculous. All I could think about was sledding, trash bagging, and taking advantage of the kind of snow day you only get a few times in college.

Trash bagging has basically become a campus sport at this point. The second there’s even four inches of snow, you can spot students sprinting toward the Tundra with whatever makeshift “sled” they can find, trash bags, cardboard, laundry baskets, you name it. So with two feet of snow on the ground, I figured this was my moment. I started getting ready, hyping myself up to join the chaos.

Then reality hit: it was freezing. Not “grab a hoodie” cold, instead survival mode cold. I realized if I was actually going to launch myself down a hill on a trash bag, I needed to be bundled up in something that could handle the negative temperatures like the Script Kelley Hoodie and the Black and White knitted beanie. And that’s when it clicked: this was the perfect excuse to grab some Kelley Outfitters merch. Warm, cozy, and honestly, the ideal way to flex a little school pride while hurtling down a snowy hill at questionable speeds.

Suddenly, the storm didn’t feel like torture anymore. It felt like an opportunity, snow day adventures, campus traditions, and the perfect moment to gear up in something that would actually keep me warm enough to enjoy it.