As below zero temperatures near, students need to be aware of the dangers cold weather presents and be responsible for meeting their own needs and prepared to deal with the unexpected.From his experience as an EMT and peer health educator, junior Ben Stoddart is well acquainted with the dangers winter presents, especially in Duluth. A major concern is frostbite, which occurs when your blood and skin tissue freezes. The areas most susceptible are fingers, cheeks, toes, ears and noses, so it is important to keep those areas covered, according to Stauber. Frostbite can occur within five minutes in temperatures between zero degrees and -19 degrees Fahrenheit, even faster if it is a windy day, according to the National Weather Service. When someone feels the pins and needles of frostbite, they should gently warm up their body and refrain from actively rewarming it — such as sticking frostbitten fingers under hot water — to prevent further tissue damage. If students feel they have severe frostbite, they can visit Health Services. Hypothermia is another major threat and can set in whenever one’s body temperature drops below 94 degrees, which can occur as early as when it is 50 degrees outside. Any temperature can be a “danger zone” depending on the conditions you find yourself in. Being wet is a big safety issue, and wind tends to make cold temperatures feel colder and be more dangerous. “(The) best way to save yourself from cold injuries is to prevent them from even happening in the first place,”Stauber said. To UMD Chemical Health Educator Lauretta Perry, the best thing students can do in winter is prepare for the unexpected so they don’t have to suffer the consequences later. Students should make sure they have good tires for the snow and be sure they have a cell phone with them in their car, along with a warm blanket, shovel and flashlight in case they get into car troubles. Last year, Perry noticed that students arrived to campus appropriately dressed for the weather during the day, but not so much at night or on the weekends when they want to go out. Perry says that when students go out they are more concerned about looking good than with being warm and bundled up in layers. “It’s more to keep track of,” Perry said about students wearing layers. “You’re at a party, there’s a bunch of people and so much happening, ‘Now, where’s my mittens?’ Nobody wants to be bothered by that.” UMD Health Educator Dori Decker agrees with her colleague and suggests that when students intend to go out, they can wear their hats, mittens, coats and boots and leave them in the car when they get to their destination. This way, if something does happen on the way there or while going home, they have the gear. “Being warm is awesome,” Decker said. “We all need to take measures to take care of ourselves,” Perry added. “Duluth winters are extreme, and students need to dress and behave responsibly to be safe.”
BY MAKAILA MILLER Staff Reporter