Of all places, why did you come to Bowling Green? Some came for a specific area of study, because it is close to home or because they got a scholarship. Some students came from another country, some another county. None came for the weather.
As the days get shorter the piercing winter winds return to the Black Swamp and students, no matter what brought them here, start to bellyache about the crumby weather. One thing to keep in mind, before considering a transfer to the sandy beaches of a southern school or the dry desert climate of a western university, is there is a cost to be paid for such great weather.
As for Bowling Green, aside from what adrenaline rush our endless fields of corn can provide, there is no overwhelmingly ascetic attraction for students to this island in the middle of the old Black Swamp. Instead, there is a Wal-Mart, a mall and many good pizza places. The soon to come, often gloomy, winter weather of Bowling Green doesn’t help attract students. On the other hand, it could be worse.
Other campuses out west or down south may not have the soggy, snowy, frostbitten winters we have, but they do have hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires, which are slightly more dangerous. On top of that, all of these seem to be on the rise in intensity and frequency.
According to a report released in April 2007 by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, tropical storms will become an increasing threat as the globe warms. School is stressful enough without having to worry about being swept away in the latest hurricane. Ask a Katrina victim; they will tell you hurricanes are no fun. Those south east coast beaches don’t seem so tempting now.
For those still wanting to escape the chill of Bowling Green, there are always the inland southern areas. Of course, NASA happened to release a study in August of this year that said storms in North America would gain intensity as the climate warms. That means more funnels. (The kind that smash trailer parks, not the kind at parties.)
USAToday.com reports that NASA research scientist and author of the study, Tony Del Genio, said, “The strongest thunderstorms, the strongest severe storms and tornadoes are likely to happen more often and be stronger.” According to a graphic on FEMA’s website, the bulk of tornado activity occurs within a square connecting Texas, Alabama, Indiana and Nebraska. So much for enjoying the sun in the south.
California appears to be one of the only places left to find sanctuary from an icy winter that doesn’t host potentially life-threatening storms. Right now, California is the by far the best place to go if you want to warm up. Just transfer to a university next to any one of the 15 wildfires that are currently burning. Even once these are put out, the Santa Ana winds can always be counted on to fan the flames again.
Part of the problem in California is there is little water and predictions say there will be less soon. The aforementioned report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also mentioned that, as the planet warms, a reduction of the snow pack in the Rocky Mountains will cause the rivers that supply California with water will shrink in the summer. Droughts will spread and the wildfires will earn their names.
Before retreating to a college on the beach, reconsider. Is warm weather worth the complications of a threatened existence? Of course not everyone living in California, tornado alley or the south east will encounter these disasters, but given the implications from scientists, I would just as well avoid the issue altogether. Even though Bowling Green’s weather can get dreary sometimes, it is better than being swept up like Dorothy in a F5 tornado. Maybe our weather is worth pitching to prospective students after all. Our slogan could be, “Welcome to Bowling Green, where the weather sucks, but at least it won’t kill you.”
