Blossoming Joy: The Magic of Spring

          The English language has a plethora of idioms anticipating the arrival of spring, from “spring has sprung” to “March goes in like a lion and out like a lamb.” The coming of spring is also significant across many cultures. For example, the Hindu celebration of Holi commemorates the chance to start fresh with the new season, and a massive celebration of the Spring Equinox is held in Mexico City each year. So what makes spring worth celebrating for so many people?

          Recently, the spring weather has seemed far from a cause for celebration. “The other day, the wind almost knocked me over into the mud and turned my umbrella inside-out. The trees definitely suffered a little. A lot of the flowers got blown away,” recalled Sophie Yang ’26. With endless rain the past few days, walking across campus in torrential downpours can certainly be an irritating experience.  However, rain comes with the promise of something better. The idiom  “April showers bring May flowers” puts it best. When the storm clouds clear and the sun appears, the entire atmosphere of the campus changes. 

          Despite the  inconveniences rain may bring, Yang “[loves] the smell when you walk around campus in the morning after it had rained the night before. It smells so fresh. You can almost smell the dew drops on the grass.” Of course, there are the aforementioned “May flowers.” The cherry blossom trees outside of the Bunn Library have started to bloom, leaving pink petals floating through the air. Mila Cooper ’26 noted, “I love all the plants and flowers that come out when it gets really warm. It’s definitely the best part of spring.” The combination of rain and sun doesn’t just bring color to the plants—from time to time, it gives the sky a splash of color. “The double rainbow on Friday was gorgeous,” recalled Akhila Mantri ’25.

          The joyous atmosphere that sunny weather brings is infectious on the Lawrenceville campus. “I think that when it’s nicer out, people tend to be outside and really happy. When we had the solar eclipse, everybody came outside. I think everyone’s mood really changes with the weather,” explained Cooper.  There’s something about clear skies and bright sunshine that improves campus morale. 

          
          Perhaps it’s because with the nice weather comes the opportunity for outdoor activities. “I like going on walks. Even in the summer, it’s a bit hot for that. In the spring, you can go outside, [bike], and take pictures of the flowers,” mentioned Cooper. 

          Sometimes, no activity is necessary; simply being outside is enough. “I like sitting on the lawn outside of the Carter House in the spring. It’s so fun to watch everybody walking around on the Crescent Green going to sports or the house,” added Yang. The warm weather is good for more than just fun, as Lawrentians can take advantage of the sun to study. “Studying outside has been really nice, since I feel like I concentrate a lot better,” said Mantri. 

          Furthermore, spring sunsets bring longer days and shorter nights. For Yang, this extra daylight is the best part of spring. “When I do homework and I see that it’s still light out, I get so much more motivation to finish my work before the sun goes down. It’s kind of like a natural timer,” she remarked. 

Spring weather is certainly a cause for celebration, as it makes the Lawrenceville community happier, even with the frequent raining. Like Yang said, “Spring has its downsides, but once those are gone, you get to see the sun and everything good that comes with it.”