As inches of snow began falling on Sunday, Jan. 9, most of the students at Ottawa University were just getting settled back in the dorms after a month-long break.
By the following day, Ottawa had approximately 4 inches of snow. While many schools in the area closed because of the conditions, Ottawa University was not one of the schools that enjoyed a “snow day.”
Where most Kansas residents are accustomed to quick changing weather conditions and winter weather, students from other areas of the country are not as fortunate or prepared when a snow storm hits.
Junior Matt Pritchett, is from Haslet, Texas. He said that he is one person on campus who was definitely not prepared for two days of snow fall.
“I was not at all [prepared],” he said. “I was barely prepared for any sort of snow, period.”
Pritchett says of the previous years he has lived in Ottawa to attend college, this was the only year he has had to deal with the elements to this extent.
Winter weather seems to bring on low motivation for some students as well.
Low motivation, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, minor depression and weight gain are all symptoms of the “winter blues” which is a mild form of Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to WebMd, this disorder is not as uncommon as one might think. They state that “winter blues” affects approximately 25 million people in the U.S. each year.
The percentage of people affected is varied staggeringly when age is considered. A large portion of affected people are between ages 19-24.
“SAD usually starts in young adulthood and is more common in females than in males. Some people with SAD experience very mild symptoms and feel out of sorts or irritable.
Others have debilitating symptoms that interfere with relationships and productivity,” according to WebMd’s SAD article. Pritchett said he is not motivated to go to class because where he is from, it is always “hot outside and cold inside,” but during a Kansas winter, conditions are the opposite.
“If I could, I’d be a bear and hibernate until it was nice outside,” Pritchett said.
Other students such as Sophomore Taylor Heffern said only rain can keep her from wanting to go outside and attend class.
“Snow doesn’t really make me want to skip class unless there is a ton,” Heffern said. “Rain, on the other hand, does.”
Heffern said she is okay with winter because she enjoys the snow for the most part.
“I do like winter for the fact that there is snow but once the snow is gone I would rather it be warm or hot outside,” Heffern said.
One major factor in the difference of opinion could be where one was raised and whether they are used to the conditions Kansas has.
Pritchett recalls one of his worst Kansas winter experiences that occurred in his first year at Ottawa University.
“All I had was shorts and T-shirts because I didn’t know what to expect,” Pritchett said. “I froze. It was the worst experience of my life.”
While winter weather may bring a debate, most OU students would like to see the college incorporate “snow days.”
“They need to have snow days,” Pritchett said.
This is something Heffern agrees with.
“I think snow days would be great,” she said.