By Laura Bird
When Megan Rose goes to bed at night, she carefully stuffs her fleece blankets and pink pillows between her mattress and the freezing wall. After bundling up, she quickly jumps into bed to stay warm.
Because Rose is on the top bunk, her blankets typically fall down exposing the chilly wall. When Rose pulled the blankets up one night she didn''t expect the crackling noise of ice.
'I looked and realized that my blankets were frozen to the wall with actual ice,' Rose said.
Rose and her roommate share a small room with a set of bunk beds against an outside wall. Because of the frigid temperatures and little insulation in the walls, Rose frequently finds her pillows chilly and wet.
'My roommate is a full-on Eskimo when she sleeps,' Rose said. 'I put at least three blankets on her every night when she''s in bed.'
Rose is not the only student facing cold conditions; students across campus are readjusting their lives to survive the cold temperatures.
'If there is a snowstorm or anything like that, there is ice on the bedroom windows,' said Megan Harris, a BYU-approved housing resident from Boone, N.C.
Despite Harris'' attempts keep the heat up, there will sometimes be a little bit of snow buildup in her family''s windows.
Students have also adjusted their school habits because of the cold.
'I study in my bed because even the library is cold in the wintertime,' said Katie Reidhead, a junior from Cedar City. 'Besides, my bed is always warm.'
Reidhead said the cold is affecting her money flow as well. Along with high utility prices, she has to pay extra for other expenses to stay warm.
'I''m wasting gas money when I let my car heat up in the morning,' Reidhead said.
Like many students on campus, Reidhead and her roommates are adjusting their social life as well. With the cold temperatures students are joining clubs focus on staying indoors such as book club and other social groups.
'We''re not as social anymore because we don''t go outside as often,' said Tenille Harrison, Reidhead''s roommate. 'You don''t run in to anyone on the sidewalks or anything.'
While there are a few brave souls still jogging down 900 East in the morning, many students are finding it difficult to get a good workout. Spending time outside has been completely eliminated for some.
'I''m taking an aerobics class,' said Bonnie Hepler, a junior from Hookset, N.H. 'The cold makes my lungs hurt if I do anything strenuous.'
While the weather is predicted to warm up a bit in the next few weeks, students will continue to drudge through the bitter temperatures as they go to and from campus.
'It''s hard to get out of bed and go to school,' Rose said. 'I just want to stay in my cocoon of warmth!'