Fall is here. The temperature is routinely dipping down to the 40s, dead leaves are covering everything, and because this is Iowa, inches and inches of snow will be here shortly. For those of you not familiar with Iowa weather, fall tends to be only a two- to five-week period between the sweltering heat of summer and the ice-and-snow parfait of winter. That’s just the way it is.

Since this is a college town, and we have so many people that are unfamiliar with the area, I try not be too harsh when people can’t anticipate these weather patterns. This country is rich with various climates, and it takes a while to become accustomed to one. But is it really too much to expect people to know what the weather’s like right now? Apparently it is.

As I walk around campus this time of the year, I’m appalled at the number of shorts, short skirts and short sleeves that I still see. You shouldn’t even need to check the weather anymore: You should just step outside, notice that it’s a little chilly and put on long pants and a jacket.

What’s even worse is knowing that this will continue into the winter. Every year I have new faith that people will learn to dress appropriately, and every year that faith gets smashed to bits. Even when there’s snow on the ground, I see people parading around like they’re on some MTV Spring Break program, thinking that if they dress warmly then Carson Daly will call a party foul and kick them off the show.

The thing I’m still trying to get my head around is why people do this. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they must not be cold, but once the temperature gets into the 30s, that becomes impossible. Did I not get some memo explaining that freezing yourself is the hip new thing?

Sadly, I think the answer is yes. I really didn’t want to believe that all this relates to fashion trends, but now I can’t even think of an alternative explanation. I didn’t realize how bad it is until I started doing some research for this column and stumbled upon a clothing item called “winter shorts.” At first I thought it was a joke, but that just shows how ignorant I am to what people will do to stay in fashion. Joanna Goddard, a writer who has worked for magazines such as Cosmo, Bene and Glamour, recently wrote in her blog, “This year, I’m really into the idea of winter shorts. They’re woolen and sexy, you can wear them with tights, and you don’t have to hibernate your legs!” What good does it do to make shorts out of a warmer material if the rest of your legs are still exposed? I don’t get it. I may never get it.

With the paranoia of H1N1 and other strains of influenza running around, I thought people would be trying to take better care of themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in an Extreme Cold Prevention Guide that “exposure to cold temperatures, whether indoors or outside, can cause serious or life-threatening health problems.” They also recommend for everyone to wear a hat, mittens, scarves and several layers of clothing in cold weather. All of this should be common sense, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it isn’t. After all, we apparently live in a world where fashion trends take priority over personal health.

I know we aren’t facing the extreme cold quite yet, but dressing warmly is a good habit to get into. If you start now, then adding a layer of clothing every few weeks won’t seem like that big of a change. That’s the attitude I take, and if you see me in the winter, you probably won’t even recognize me. I’ll be the guy trudging along with only his eyes exposed, looking like he’s got layers in the double digits and if you pushed him over he’d start rolling around and gathering snow. I don’t encourage anyone to test that theory, but I do encourage everyone to mimic my style.

I strongly urge all of you to get used to dressing for the weather. It will keep you comfortable and healthy through the winter, and for those of you still worried about style, there’s nothing sexy about the flu. Until then, stay warm and I’ll see you all in June when I can hit the slopes and wear my summer coat.

Tom Hummer is a junior in English  from Ames.