Sleeping in late, layers of clothing, snowball fights, running across campus and the sounds of laughter and excitement filling the air could mean only one thing on Feb. 12 and 13: back-to-back snow days for the students at BJU.
As an unusually large snowstorm passed through the South, classes were canceled because of the safety hazards presented to both students and faculty and staff.
Many residence hall students could be seen trudging through the snow in makeshift snow gear — rain boots and jackets — or starting snowball wars with both friends and strangers.
Multiple variations of snow creatures found homes around campus, from snowmen with BJU faculty faces to snow Bruins and even a professional snow sculpture.
For some students, it was the first time they had ever seen enough snow to play in. “I grew up in Florida, so getting snow was rare for me, and when we do now in Georgia, it’s not a lot,” said Katherine Baughman, a sophomore health, fitness and recreation major. “A bunch of friends and I went to the top of the parking garage and just ran around, made snow angels, and had a snowball war. I felt like a little kid again. It was great.”
While dorm students took a break from the books, town students also had their own fun in the snow at home. “I tried to build an igloo,” said Joseph Wooster, a junior health, fitness and recreation major. “I didn’t get enough snow for that, though. I only got three layers done, but I tried. Then I shoveled our driveway so we wouldn’t be stuck here for a week.”
Back on campus, Dani Conaway and friends were determined to go sledding with their own makeshift sleds: a plastic laundry basket and cardboard boxes wrapped in disposable plastic tablecloths.
“We tried to sled practically everywhere,” said Conaway, a junior elementary education major. “We tried in the parking lots and streets, down the parking garage ramp and even on the walkways around the Davis Field House. It didn’t work that well, but we had a lot of fun, and we were just so excited to be out in the snow.”
Other students took advantage of the snow days to get ahead on assignments for their classes. “I walked around on the snow where no one else has walked yet, then went inside and worked on English 102,” said Grace Choi, a freshman creative writing major. “The whole day was notecards, notecards, notecards.”
Whether enjoying the time off from classes outside in the snow or inside at a desk, BJU students appreciated their small break from busy college schedules.