Expecting a cold shiver in the morning having mistakenly leaving a window open throughout the night, I get out of bed and… feel warm? I had to second guess my body, check my forehead to see if I had a fever, but it was true, my dreams had become realities: it was warm and sunny in Erie, finally.

A sunny Sunday is just what Gannon needed, walking to and from meetings and Waldron to accomplish tasks due to procrastination, I saw friends, classmates and members of the community sharing smiles, wearing shorts and being happy.

An overwhelming sense of joy overcame campus, it was the shorts’ impact.

Even if some people thought it was still a little too cold for shorts, that did not stop people supporting Mother Nature for providing us sun, so it was only right to pay our respects by wearing our shorts around Erie.

Soon, thereafter the beaming sun, a world of possibilities became true for the average student to partake in throughout Erie. Some students planned to use the day to walk down to the bay-front and enjoy the view. Others went to the beach and enjoyed the sand, and visited a fan-favorite to enjoy the best ice cream around at Sara’s.

Booming with pride, Erie-ites filled the streets as if the city had gone through a vibrant renewal; students piled outside as they could smell summer coming. All people, men and women, children and even some professors I saw were celebrating by wearing shorts on the beautiful day.

As the end of the semester is quickly approaching, grades are starting to become a reality and finalized, and the stresses of last minute club and/or organization projects are being implemented and executed all while everyone is attempting to enjoy their last month with their best friends on campus before going home.

The perfect acclimation to all the varying emotions, the best aid in this journey of April, is the weather officially becoming “shorts weather” where students can bring out an entirely new wardrobe, show their lower thighs, and get a nice sock tan.

Progressing through the week, the weather remains bipolar, but the shorts continue to be a common theme. Itching for summer, it’s not too early nor too cold for the shorts. Erie gave us a flaccid winter, but the prolonged coldness has held back the shorts except for the strong few. However, it has turned into April and the strength is in the numbers. More and more individuals are changing into shorts, as they should be, and Mother Nature will cooperate.

Enjoy these last few moments of the semester, see the beauty of campus and Lake Erie, and don’t miss out on the rich culture and experiences Erie offers, go seek them out.

Do all of these, and to aid you in the process, wear some shorts! It can be basketball shorts, cargo shorts, khaki shorts or whatever other fashion your heart desires – just remember that the strength is in the numbers and summer is near, don’t shy away from what we really want, a nice, long break that we all deserve, in shorts.