Stephanie Dennis

When I was younger, snow was a novelty. I used to get excited for snow days, doing a “snow dance” of sorts and anxiously awaiting the call that school would be closed. I loved playing in the snow with friends, making snowmen, animals and forts, and having snow ball fights. It used to be fun. It used to be more tolerable.

Then, this year happened. All of these “polar vortexes” and blizzards with names like “Hercules” and “Nika.” First of all, I don’t understand the whole polar vortex concept, because I thought vortexes were circles, like the eye of a hurricane. And also on that note, why did the Weather Channel decide that last year these snowstorms were worthy of having an identity? They also act like each one is the end of the world, with breaking news alerts telling us we are going to get another inch or two.