Winters in Kent can lag for what seems like years. If the wind doesn’t kill you, the snow and ice packed into the hills and stairs will.

For many students, October is the calm before the storm, so why not get outdoors with your partner and enjoy the fresh fall weather?

For first-time daters who aren’t the athletic type, take some coffee or tea with you to an outside bench and play a nostalgic game of 20 Questions to get to know the other person. Pick things such as favorite kind of music, most embarrassing moment or anything else to break the ice and have a light-hearted conversation.

During the week, the sidewalks are filled with students dashing to class, but a slow, Sunday afternoon walk around campus can be more than just a break from studying. Take a frisbee with you and toss it around.

For night owls, pack some sleeping bags or blankets and spend an evening gazing at the celestial night sky. The next meteor shower is Oct. 21 and astronomers agree that the best way to view the shower is to head away from city lights. StarDate.org states that your eyes have “dark adapted” when you are able to see each star on the Little Dipper, or Ursa Minor, constellation.

October in Kent also means Halloween and with the holiday right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking of a costume. If nothing comes to mind, take your date with you to a thrift store and have him or her pick out your costume for you. It can be exciting, especially with a first-date, to see what your partner could have you wearing.

Savor the fine fall weather while it lasts, and take your date to the great outdoors.

– Abigail Fisher