Re: "Walking across campus in winter is dangerous," Jan. 29 letter.

I have one thing to say to John Reagle, who wrote in saying that it is absurd for President Spanier to expect students to walk around Penn State, "Welcome to Penn State!" University Park is a walking campus, and it always has been.

When I started school, the Loop cost 40 cents and rarely came, and you only took it from East Halls when you were going out at night. I understand how cold it is, and how annoying it is to have to walk in the snow and ice, but I did it for four years and I rarely took the Loop, even when it was free.

Some people need the Loop because they can't physically walk long distances, but most Penn Staters are strong and healthy and it seems to me that many of the new students are becoming spoiled.

College is meant to teach you not only book work, but that you have to get things done even in bad circumstances, like getting to an exam in a blizzard. I can't miss work just because the weather is bad and my bed is warm, and I do have to walk outside for a couple of blocks to get from the metro to my office.

The real world doesn't take attendance, but it doesn't pay those who can't tough it out enough to make it in to work when it gets below freezing. I know it seems rough now, but walking around campus becomes second nature, and with all the partying that goes on, most student can use the good workout.

I might have complained about walking from Snyder to EE West, but having the wind push me all the way down an icy hill behind Sparks has made for one great story that I tell every time I explain winters at Penn State. Love Penn State for what it is, a huge school where walking for 15 minutes uphill to class is normal. Get used to it.