As spring buds in Bloomington, Hoosiers move outdoors

The Old Crescent’s wooded footpaths are turning a pastel shade of green and IU’s perennial professionals have turned the campus into a botanical garden. But forget April showers and budding flowers, students know that the real signs of a Bloomington spring are mid-week front porch parties and Frisbee in Dunn Meadow.\n“I think the first sign of spring is when you start seeing more people on their bicycles,” said Darron Salzer, a student and bike enthusiast. \nSalzer is a senior at IU, slated to graduate in one month, but he said he finds it difficult to be productive when the weather is warm. \n“As soon as the weather gets nice, I just think I could be outside reading a newspaper,” Salzer said while he sat at Showalter Fountain, his favorite outdoor IU spot. \nJunior Anna Crowley said she noticed students excited about warm weather before it was actually warm. \n“I like that the first day it was even kind of nice, nobody was wearing their jackets and it was still like 50 degrees out,” Crowley said. \nFor Jared Payne, even spring’s moderate temperatures raise his Frisbee-throwing hopes. Payne is a member of the IU Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team, Hoosiermama?, which practices at Woodlawn Field. \n“Every year, the week following spring break our team starts to practice outside regularly,” Payne said in an e-mail interview. “We have been practicing four days a week and the weather has really helped to raise the intensity and quality of our outdoor practices.”\nPayne said this is the most important time in his team’s season. The team is better able to prepare outside for its upcoming sectional and regional tournaments, both of which are in the next month. \nLindsey Cunningham, a player for the IU Women’s Ultimate team, the Calamity Janes, said the outdoor weather not only boosts skill but morale too. \n“We practice year-round but the indoor season is not a favorite of the team,” said Cunningham. “We get stuck in the John Mellencamp Pavilion and mainly do drills and try and get in shape.” \nJeff Sanders, Superintendent of Karst Farm Park at 5200 W. Airport Rd., said that the warmer weather has brought out many kids and college students. \n“As soon as the weather breaks, the park starts getting busy,” Sanders said.\nKarst Farm Park gets its busiest in the spring during soccer tournaments, Sanders said. The park has outdoor sites for soccer, disc golf, kickball and lacrosse. Sanders said spring is when all of the park’s equipment stored for the winter is brought out for visitor’s use. \n“The sign of spring for me is when the grass starts greening … and when our equipment starts getting broken,” Sanders said.