As the winter rolls in, I cannot help but think of the lights, people, food and festivities of what I have come to know as the most wonderful time during the academic year.
The cold days and long nights force us to the warm Cap Bar and slide on into our comfiest clothes. I know that I, for one, have started opting for sweatshirts instead of t-shirts, and every day I see more people doing the same.
And as winter comes, it brings with it the un-imposed UD Groundhog sweatshirt dress code.
However, as much as I love sweatshirts, winter is cold and sad. Groundhog marks the beginning of the end for winter with great food and drink, merriment, festivities and an additional sweatshirt in your closet. It is never too early to start planning for Groundhog, and especially for the sweatshirt that will keep you warm in anticipation of the Groundhog after that.
Not all Groundhog sweatshirts are equal. By far, my favorite Groundhog sweatshirt is the maroon one from my freshman year. Given the perfect balance of being a neutral color other than navy blue, comfy but not baggy and the quarter-zipper and collar, this is by far the superior Groundhog sweatshirt.
The quarter-zip allows for fashionable modesty. You can sport it unzipped over a button-up and tie to keep warm but classy. However, the zipper also does not dip so low that you absolutely need to wear a high cut shirt or button up under it if you do not want to.
Alternatively, on cold afternoons hunched over a drafty table in Haggar, you can zip up your sweatshirt for additional warmth and comfort.
And of course, there is always the option to partially zip the sweater. The degree to which your sweater is zipped is completely in your control.
I am not alone in my love for the quarter-zip Groundhog shirts. Many other students feel the same way. Although we like the other shirts we have had, when asking about Groundhog shirt styles, the 2017 Groundhog sweatshirt was the clear favorite. Students primarily attributed this to the quarter-zipper feature.
When asking some fellow seniors why they liked the maroon shirts most, support for the quarter-zip sweatshirt was overwhelmingly positive.
“Well, they are the best,” said Senior Physics major, Aidan Medcalf when asked about the quarter-zip sweatshirts.
I, and many other students, agree. The quarter-zip is the superior collar design on Groundhog sweatshirts, over the more recent crewnecks.
Senior History major Gabrial Lim expressed that his favorite of the recent Groundhog shirts were actually the green 2018 sweatshirts, “I left mine back home, but the green sweatshirt is my favorite: its green.” He also expressed that he liked the arched lettering of “Groundhog” on that sweatshirt, but wishes it had a quarter-zip and pockets.
A year from now when we are huddled in the basement of the library to escape the cold and start working on our final papers, let’s do so looking sharp (but comfy) in quarter-zip Groundhog sweatshirts, the best version of Groundhog sweaters we have, and probably ever will receive.
