Mourning Warmer Days

By: Maeve Moynihan, Senior Writer Edited by: Marissa Wrubleski

Across a mass amount of media platforms, summer has become the #1 trending season in the midst of one of the worst winters the nation has seen. The time in between the holiday season and the warmth of spring is mostly spent glamorizing the summer and battling seasonal depression, specifically members of SU campus. From trends of going through summer camera rolls to planning wardrobes months early, summer’s influence has come early.

Winter can be hard, between the cold, shorter days, and the immense amount of time indoors, people can feel trapped. Compared to summertime, when it is quite literally a brighter time, the winter feels dark and lonely as the list of activities dwindles down. The overall mood between the seasons is just so different that it makes winter and summer feel polar opposite; as if they are enemies fighting against one another.

After the tease of warmth just last week across the East Coast, states like New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island received record amounts of snowfall with the recent blizzard. Rhode Island’s snowfall reached three feet, making it one of the worst blizzards the state has seen. The snow not only submerged people’s backyards, but it also slowed down and canceled forms of transportation, leaving people stranded without a flight or stuck at home with no access to the roads. 

When people feel stuck, they feel trapped, isolated. Sure a snow day or two is fun for a little bit, making snow angels and relaxing at home. But with no access to activity outside one’s own home, it tends to make people go stir crazy, hence the mourn for summer and a sense of freedom.     

Looking at it from the perspective of a student on SU’s campus, living in an atmosphere consumed by snow and darkness for months on end can feel isolating and unmotivating, accompanied by the balance of educational and social obligations. The weather seems so simple, but really plays a crucial role in students’ mental health. This can be hard when they are forced to stay in their dorm rooms a majority of the winter time. It is no surprise that SU is known as one of the coldest schools in the nation, and this makes the mourning of the sun more prevalent. 

A recent trend has surfaced on TikTok, where users are posting pictures of their camera roll from summer months, titling it “what doesn’t kill you will find you in your camera roll in the middle of winter.” The trend is not only bringing people together over social media, but it also illustrates the lasting effect that seasonal depression can have over people, mourning their lives when their only accessory was sunglasses rather than a puffer jacket. Syracuse sophomore Ellie Meisner recently participated in the TikTok trend, as she reminisces on the comfort that summer brings her.  

“I did the trend because summer is my favorite time of the year, especially because the weather plays such an important role in my mental health. I also learn a lot about the science behind this as I am a psychology major. I love college and I love my friends, but I notice it is typically more challenging with the winter cold, and often makes me reminisce on summer where everything feels so relaxing and calm. My camera roll is also a special place for me because I am someone who spends a lot of time looking through my memories when I am feeling down,” Meisner said. 

From waking up to a different clock schedule to having less levels of serotonin, the winter brings challenges that make it mentally more challenging to get through the season. These challenges leave people feeling hopeless and unmotivated, making simple everyday tasks feel heavy and unbearable to face. Seeing as it is scientifically proven that the sun can combat these “winter blues”, it answers the question as to why warmer days bring energy back into people’s everyday routines.        

Nostalgia and comfort come hand and hand. Reflecting on past times where things felt easy is something that individuals do as a safety net; this is a large reason why looking through old memories gives people that sense of happiness. Memories are reminders of good times, and seeing as summer serves to be this outlet for many people, the trend has reached millions. 

Mourning the summer goes beyond just warmth. It is a reminder of a “break.” As kids, summer vacation was the end goal. The break between going to the next grade, the next age, the next adventure. It was the time to grow and prepare for the next journey ahead, bringing excitement without the stress of school or deadlines. A sense of freedom preceded with an immense amount of anticipation, these memories carry on with every summer season.         

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