Editorial | Top 10 things to do when it’s over 45 degrees

The arrival of spring this year feels more exciting than turning 21. Though technically, if you turned 21 during the pandemic, the arrival of spring is — literally — probably more exciting. Any day the temperature gets above 45 degrees is cause for celebration. But with great weather comes great responsibility. Here are The Pitt News Editorial Board’s top 10 pandemic-safe ways to celebrate spring.

10. Lay in the sun like a cat

Or like a panther. In our humble opinion, some of the best places to sun on campus are the Frick Fine Arts building stairs, the magic Tent — technically it’s not in the sun, but it’s magic so whatever — and the NEW Bigelow. We will not stop cracking the Bigelow joke until the renovation fully makes sense. Therefore, we will never stop cracking the Bigelow joke.

9. Stop taking the 71C two stops down Fifth

From the Cathedral to Towers when you don’t feel like walking. Or from Cathy to Meyran Avenue. If you say you haven’t done this, you are lying. And usually, it has nothing to do with the cold weather. But we all use the cold weather as an excuse. Now we can’t anymore.

8. Open your windows

Like you did on Student Self Care Day while you were doing homework and asking for Pitt Day of Giving donations.

7. Moderately enjoy walking place to place

Not only can you go outside without wearing wool gloves now, but you also don’t have to worry about Port Authority buses driving through a pile of slush and slush spraying you again. This will start all over again around April with rainwater, but whatever. Enjoy the intermediary state.

6. Wave that winter coat goodbye!

This is more a symbolic way to celebrate the end of winter, because you didn’t wear your winter coat very much this year, did you? You wore slides and a sweatshirt when you took your trash out, hoped for the best and then stayed in your apartment for the rest of the day. That’s valid.

5. Nod when your professor says “everyone go outside” at the end of the Zoom lecture

Any time there is even a sliver of sunlight, professors love to crack a joke along the lines of, “is that the sun?! In Pittsburgh?!” Then when it gets moderately warm outside they add “everyone go outside” at the end of Zoom lectures, as if we literally have anything else we could possibly do.

4. Clean your apartment

Now that sock season is coming to an end, we can feel seven months worth of potato chips and shards of pasta noodles sticking to our feet when we walk around. Time to bust out the broom for the first time since mid-October. Where even is it?

3. Shorts

45 degrees or higher and the pants come off.

2. Still wear a mask outside

It’s less pleasant to mask up in the heat, but there’s both light — and Pittsburgh sunshine — at the end of the tunnel, so please don’t let your guard down now.

1. Feel like a human again

Need we say more?