This weekend marked a new beginning at UND and in Grand Forks as a whole — we finally have reason to believe that spring will in fact come this year.

Spring is great in every place in the Midwest, but, in Grand Forks, it almost seems like a life changing event. This is my fourth year at UND, and I’ve noticed that one needs a good running start to break out of the winter funk, so let me fire the starting gun and get you barreling into the good half of the semester.

First, the awful sighs after seeing -20 degree raw temperatures forecasted on your phones will get fewer and further between. We will even begin to remember that snow does indeed melt at high enough temperatures and that curbs are actually made of cement, not packed snow. Eventually, we can throw those awful windshield scrapers in the backseat for the first time in months — that’s a victory.

Next, we will remember that winter coats are not necessary all year long. There might even be a time when you leave for class wearing a coat only to realize that it’s too warm out for the extra layer. It’s a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Soon our necks will recover from looking down to avoid the wind, and we will realize that the walk from the parking lot to Gamble really isn’t so bad. One day, you might even enjoy a walk to class — there’s a major victory.

We’ll watch as winter washes off campus in the form of melted snow, and the deadly ice traps at the end of sidewalks will become puddles. Maybe that’s not much of a victory, but I’d much rather jump over puddles than shuffle across ice.

As life gets easier with warmer weather, we’ll also realize the best is yet to come.

Spring break is less than a week away. Soon, we’ll find out who’s performing at Spring Jam and start planning for that. The men’s hockey team will begin tournament play, and we’ll discover just how much the team has grown this season. Men’s basketball will begin postseason play too.

If none of these get you excited then maybe a mention of Springfest and the end of the school year will.

At a school known for its harsh, long winters, the first signs of spring mark more than a wardrobe change. They mark a lifestyle change, and UND will finally begin to look like the university it advertises itself as.

Start the perspective freshman tours. UND is on its way to looking picture perfect once again.

Sam Wigness is the features editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].