The great thing about Sacramento summers is that nice, calm delta breeze that cools the city by early evening. The bad thing about Chico summers is they have - yes, that's right - no delta breeze.
For students choosing to spend their summers in Chico, windless, sweltering, triple-digit days are inevitable.
Students use a variety of techniques to stay cool in summers and their own pseudo-delta breezes.
"One summer I filled my pants with ice cubes," said Daniel Pirak, an exercise physiology senior. "Be sure to wear boxer briefs or some kind of underwear with elastic, though."
Pirak also recommends camping out at places, such as the Chico Mall and movie theater.
"Anywhere that's cold that I don't have to pay for is a major plus," he said.
The hot weather gives many students the excuse to indulge in ice-cold treats. Last summer, Pirak made a daily stop at 7-Eleven to buy a giant Slurpee.
"Just be careful about brain freezes," he said. "Those ruin the fun of getting the Slurpee in the first place."
Ice cream and frozen yogurt shops are packed with customers during the summer, said John Thomson, Jon & Bon's Yogurt Shoppe employee.
"We'll get a couple hundred customers on a hot day," he said. "It can get pretty crazy in here. We'll constantly be running out of toppings."
The shop's Hawaiian snows are popular during summer months, Thomson said. Tart, fruity yogurt flavors are also major hits, such as the shop's two newest additions, lemon and strawberry.
Junior anthropology major Amy Wilson's ice cream flavor of choice is vegan cherry chocolate chip from Trader Joe's.
"I eat a lot of ice cream in the summer," she said. "Then I start gaining excess fat just in time to stay warm for winter."
Gina Catallo, a liberal studies sophomore, stays cool by taking cold showers and swimming as much as possible.
"I eat like 90 Otter Pops a day when it's hot," she said.
Sophomore Emily Grelle utilizes cool mornings and evenings.
"Keep the windows open in the mornings and at nights when it's cool," Grelle said.
She also tries to stay well hydrated, especially if she's doing anything active.
The average person should drink eight to 12 ounces of water for every 10 to 15 minutes of outdoor activity, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Pirak also recommends standing in front of an open freezer door to stay cool.
"The hotter it gets, the less you care about how stupid you look," he said.
Amanda Drew can be reached at adrew@theorion.com
Related links Summer health safety tips from PG&E Summer energy saving tips from the Consumer Health Center
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