Winter in East Lansing, Mi normally lasts from November to March. It is cold here and it normally snows a lot too. One might complain about the snow, the cold temperatures, the slippery ice, and the puddles when the snow melts, however, I believe that the snow adds some kind of a sentiment that completes the whole picture of the Michigan State University campus that many recall fondly later on.
Leaves start falling off in late September in East Lansing, and by the time October is coming to an end, almost all the trees are bare. Red Cedar River which cuts across the whole campus is full of brown leaves that the wind has swept off the grass, and the squirrels are more visible as they wander off scavenging for food since all the leaves have fallen. Animals and humans alike puff up to embrace the cold winter winds. Soon, the familiar view of MSU garments appears as other students put away their fancy summer clothes for their winter clothes with Sparty logos on them. Ice hockey starts in October, and Munn Ice arena is crowded with people, either wanting to skate during public skating hours, which is on Sundays or going to watch the hockey games in the Big Ten tournament.
Snow visits for a short period in early November but soon melts away when the sun comes out again. By early December, however, it has snowed a lot (normally), and everything is covered in a thick layer of white. The trees, the buildings, the roads, and even the Red Cedar River freeze up due to the falling temperatures and soon the squirrels disappear out of sight.
There are many things to do around East Lansing during Winter. There are numerous ski resorts only a few hours’ drive away or one could go ice skating at ice skating rinks at Munn Ice arena (Sundays from 3:30, about $6 per person) and Suburban Ice East Lansing just East of Akers Hall (on selected dates, about $7 per person) but one could just wander off in the silence of white snow, wondering how many others had walked the same path in the hundred years since the opening of Michigan State University.
The calm frozen Red Cedar River in winter contrasts with the fast rushing of water during summer and fall. Time seems to have stopped, especially during the winter holidays, with most of the students elsewhere, the frozen river, soft white blanket that covers everything in sight, except the occasional howling of the wind reminding me about the passing time.
