Springtime in Wisconsin is the ultimate tease. It could be 60 degrees one day and plunge back down to the low 30s the next. These unpredictable weather patterns prompt us to pester our roommates with earlier classes on what the weather's like each morning. Common questions include "Am I going to need a jacket? OK, what sort of jacket? Will I be able to get away with a denim one or should I wear my fleece?' I'm not sure I even like this jacket, do you?' After your roommate casts you a withering look and shuts the door in your face, it's time to seek a new resource. It would seem that a look outside the window would prove adequate, but anyone who has used this technique knows that a sunny sky can be deceiving.

Looking for a third option, I equipped my computer with a handy program downloaded from the Internet called weatherbug. Weatherbug allows you to check the temperature outside by simply clicking on the icon. A word of advice, however — make sure you keep the sound off. When it isn't muted, weatherbug makes disarming insect-like noises which signal that the temperature has changed. When you're asleep and the noise wakes you up, its enough for you to think your apartment has become the central focus of a plague worthy of the Old Testament.

A result of living with these temperamental temperatures is that we must often be creative in selecting an outfit best suited for the current conditions. My favorite combination is the hooded sweatshirt, shorts, flip flops and, though it is not really worn to provide warmth, the backward baseball cap. Guys around campus have perfected this look, but I have always found it puzzling. If a cool breeze was headed your way would you really want your legs and feet exposed instead of your arms? Personally, I feel my arms have a stronger resistance to the elements than my toes, but maybe I'm the only one. The girl version of this look is a tank top with a light jacket, capri pants (which I'm noticing are quite vibrant this season) and sandals. It may be rushing things a tad to break out the sleeveless shirts in April, but it's certainly not stopping girls around here. Of course being dressed in a shirt with little or no sleeves also enables the wearer to show off the numerous, multi-colored rubber bracelets encircling his or her wrists. So go ahead, defy the elements and wear whatever your little heart desires. No one's judging.

This viewpoint appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 5 2005.