By Craig Brinkerhoff & Ethan Walshe
Copy Editor & Editor-In-Chief

Winter is in full swing and that means one thing in New England: Snow. And lots of it. As Westford Academy has declared today the first snow day of the season, the Ghostwriter has compiled a list of preferred snow day activities.

• Bunker down with some Netflix. It’s cold outside, I don’t have to get up early, and I plan on spending a good portion of my day marathoning a series on Netflix. With so many options as far as TV shows and movies, there is something for everyone.
• Massive Snowball Fight. Find eight or nine of your best buds, find a great spot in the woods or out in the open, and go to town. Bombard your friends with snowballs in a no-holds-barred bloodbath.
• Go for a snowshoe hike. The air is crisp and the bears are out. If you’re more of a fitness junkie, there is some nice land in town (check out Kennedy Pond) where you can easily tie together a snowshoe 5k. Plus, it’s cheaper than nordic skiing, and your dog will not be nearly as scared as he would be with skis.
• Sleep. There is little more satisfying in life than waking up at 6 am, looking at your phone, discovering a notification from WCVB saying that school has been cancelled, and going back to sleep. Embrace these moments.
• Sledding. When it comes to sledding, children do not reign anymore. Grab your fastest sled, some nice alpine ski wax, and get waxing. Soon enough you will be getting some massive speeds. The hills at Stony Brook are fun, but if you are up for backcountry, gladed sledding, head to the short yet steep hills of the Stone Arch Bridgeway.
• Build an absolutely amazing snow fort. This isn’t just for little kids; snow is the absolute building tool. Find a massive pile of snow, usually at the end of a long road or driveway where the plow piles it up deep in the season, put on some gloves and get digging.
• Bake something. Maybe it’s just me but I find it really entertaining to make some homemade cookies or even a cake when I have a day off. Enjoy your baked good warm with one of the beverages mentioned below for a winter’s treat.
• Beverages. On a snow day there are too many beverage options to choose from. You can opt for the classic mug of hot chocolate, or go a little more adventurous and sample a new cup of tea or coffee.  My personal favorites are a nice black Chai or a dark, deep coffee roast from one of my favorite roasters available for home brewing: Sun from Connecticut or Caribou from Minneapolis.
• The homework you refused to do yesterday. We all do this. We go to bed hoping that we will have one more day to do homework we neglected to do because we hoped there would be no school the next day. And when we wake up our efforts are rewarded. You should probably get it done by the next day though.
• Absolutely nothing. One of my favorite things to do, you read it right, is nothing. Most of the time you end up trapped in your house anyway, and why do work when the snow is falling so nicely? Just lay down and sleep, for you only get days like this occasionally.