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   Are we catching early spring fever? I have noticed these milder temperatures causing a resurgence in premature shorter hemlines and short-sleeves. I have also noticed a few boat trailers on campus and fishing poles jutting out of truck beds. More than those things, I have noticed the better parking opportunities due to people skipping class or having to deal with the repercussions of mating trees and plants: allergies and sinus problems.

   How I love when early spring tip-toes to UAM and brings with it better parking because people drop classes or just decide that being sick is not the only reason to miss class. I love it. While others are out missing school, fishing or playing in the dirt and getting dropped, I’m getting that parking place they guarded with their life everyday. As the semester trudges by and the end draws near, the parking will only get better. Instead of parking behind Jeter Hall everyday, now I can park in front of the MCB. I plan to cherish every moment of this season of better parking.

   I jest. The weather will only continue to get better and the temptation to skip class to be outside will grow, but people like me have to save those days because pretty weather brings pretty bad allergies. I detest the sight of yellow pollen on my car. Plus, the pollen has not even started falling too noticeably and I am already suffering. I can’t swing the nine iron and sneeze at the same time. I am horrible enough at golf, anyway. But yes, the temptation to ditch it all and go join my sweetie on that not so green nine hole course at the Pine Bluff Arsenal will rise, but the thought of a better grade almost always wins.

   Skipping class comes with ease in college as we are the ones responsible for our own choices.We think about the here and now, and give little thought to finals week, especially when it seems so far away. We know that if we skip class to goof off, a truancy officer will not call our parents and we will not have to go to juvie. Those of us who learned the hard way know that skipping class to goof off only leads to remorse. We have to deal with the guilt of knowing that our grades could have been better, or we may not have had to take that final or worse, we would not be on academic probation because of the snowball effect that skipping class had on our grades. Plus, some of us have potential to become habitual class-cutters.

   We can do it. We can make it through to the end of the semester without skipping class. We can miss when we are sick, rest, recuperate and then come back ready to finish strong. We can always go golfing on Saturday, right?

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