The Hawk Eye
Dashing Through the WinterThursday, January 05, 2012 By Claudia Lopez
A snowball is thrown crashing into the rough wool of your jacket. You retaliate, but miss destroying the head of a snowman your neighbors spent all day building. A smirk of guilt and carelessness stains your face. The air is light and cold, but the time of winter is fleeting. You have to hurry before the joy of vacation passes. "I love the winter season," sophomore Kate Melton said, "The snow, the cold, and the skiing always make me excited." Each year, she and her friend, sophomore Alex LaChapelle, head to Wintergreen Resort for a skiing adventure. While the two ski, there are still remnants of a friendly competition. "I’m good at skiing, but Alex really isn’t," Melton said. Nevertheless, skiing doesn’t attract everyone. For the last 3 years, sophomore Cameron Upshaw has been spending his winter vacations with another snow sport. "It’s exhilarating when I snowboard," he said. "It’s fun to see how fast you can go and what you can learn from other people." Along with his brother, Upshaw snowboards at Wintergreen and Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort three times in the winter. Every visit, he says he improves his snowboarding skill. On the other hand, sports are not the only activities students indulge in. Sometimes, the mere visit to the theater is sufficient. "I go to Christmas shows," junior Anna Norman. "I like the singing because it gets my Christmas spirit going." No matter the way students spend their vacation, the time away from school is short term. Many take the opportunity to spend time with their families and friends without the worry and stress of school. "There is good family bonding during the Christmas season," Norman said. "I think winter’s a happy time." |