Reporting at Santa Clara University

Putting a Dent in the Dry Spell

The academic calendar may say “Winter Quarter,” but it felt more like summer vacation last week. Northern California was suffering through a long drought, yet the dry spell had its benefits. Students soaked in the warm sunshine, people seemed cheery, and smiles were commonplace.
But last Thursday, students and faculty alike brushed the dust off of jackets, umbrellas, and rain boots to combat the wet weather. There was no denying it anymore. Winter was back, and it had taken Santa Clara by storm.

With the change of weather came a change in attitude among the students on campus. For some, the onslaught of rain dampened weekend plans. Senior Communication major Chelsi Johnston and her classmates had hoped to begin shooting an assignment in experimental film for a class. The shot required ample sunshine, but the sky had different plans. “It was too rainy to shoot outside,” Johnston said.

For senior Psychology major Taylor Conte, the current president of the Ski & Snowboard Club at Santa Clara, the rain had a different effect. As a member for the past 4 years, the drought really lowered moral and the ability to ride for the club this year. 

“It is currently the worst winter in Tahoe in over 200 years. We all have been praying for snow more then we probably have been studying,” Conte said. “We had over 20 kids up in Tahoe last weekend and will have another big group going up this weekend. We have a cabin open to Santa Clara Students for $40 a weekend if anyone wants to come play in the snow.”

Alan Takeda, who has worked in landscape maintenance at Santa Clara for the past two years, noticed the difference as well. Santa Clara has often been praised for its beautiful campus. Lush green lawns, sidewalks lined with fragrant rosebushes, and bright flowers contrasting the whitewashed adobe walls give the school that recognizable picturesque quality. 

The dry spell was detrimental to this beauty. Takeda said that winter annuals (flowers that only bloom during the winter season) have not received their normal rainfall, and with the lack of rain they become susceptible to frost damage. While the rain was beneficial to the flowers, this was not exactly the case for the lawns on campus.

Many students have to walk to and from class, regardless of the weather. When asked where students should try to avoid, Takeda quickly warned about the Accolti Way lawn. Located between the Sobrato and Sanfilippo Residence dormitories, this area tends to get muddy fast during the rainy season and can take weeks to dry up.

Similarly, Takeda offered that lawns on the north sides of buildings also tend to be soggy. The buildings block what already little sunlight peeks through the rainclouds, casting shadows on the lawns. This prevents the rain water from evaporating and keeps the grass wet.
There were a rare few who seemed oblivious to the downpour last week. The rain essentially eliminated senior English major Cameron Carbone’s distractions from the outside world as he was able to complete some heavy reading for class this past weekend. For Carbone, “it was nice seeing the rain again.”

As late as it was, the weather finally matched the winter season last week. But the storm left just as quickly as it had arrived after putting a dent in the dry spell. Forecasts for the upcoming weekend suggest a whole lot more of that summer vibe missing from last weekend.