For my six-hour performance, I decided to stay outdoors from 11:15 am until 5:15 pm on Tuesday, 9 February. I documented the experience through photos taken throughout my time outside. I wish I could say that I succeeded in remaining outdoors, but, alas, a snowstorm decided to roll in at around 4 pm, at which time I sought refuge in a nearby dorm. Until that time, I walked around campus, finding places to sit and study or just talk to people. In fact, my six-hour performance opened with an epic outdoor picnic on the lawn in front of Powell Campus Center with four of my friends.
It definitely grew colder as the time wore on, but I held out. I had a lot of help from my friends: someone gave me hand- and foot-warmers, another friend bought me a coffee, and others amused themselves with spending time with me as long as they wished to freeze. I'm satisfied with my experience in being able to remain outdoors for such a long time in 15-degree weather.
The reasoning behind this piece is to show that we take for granted that, at this time of year, we go indoors for most of what we do. We barely spend time outside. Some people don't have that luxury and have no "indoors" to go back to, as we do. They need to plan ahead in order to stay warm and be inventive as to how they accomplish everyday tasks. It was a challenge to manage things such as reading and writing while my fingers were frozen in my gloves. It was also a challenge spending almost an hour sitting on the cold ground eating lunch. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the turnout of my endurance performance.
Special thanks to Derek Georgia and LeeAnn Tindell for taking photos during my performance.
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