It's sNOw Big Deal

Photo by Alaina Burris

With two days until students could move back into their dorms for the spring semester, a large portion of the Midwest became the center of a snow storm. People everywhere lost power for multiple days, and our campus went back and forth on whether or not we were going to have power.

The snowfall in Ottawa came to six inches. Students arrived on campus to find the football field untouched, covered in a white blanket, and several parking spaces in the same state. Snowbanks were everywhere; the edge of parking lots, grassy areas, lining sidewalks. Students who were on campus early and faculty worked to clean up for those who were coming January 13.

While most students are used to this kind of weather, whether they have lived in a similar climate or they have gone to school at Ottawa for awhile, there are several who aren’t. The student body has many students who come from coastal, humid states, as well as students from overseas, many of which don’t usually see snowfall.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be as cold as it was on campus,” says Allison Rivers, an Ottawa freshman. “I was nervous because everybody that lived around here kept warning me about all of these things that could happen and how to be extra careful.”

Rivers came to OU from Gulfport, Miss., which has an annual snowfall of zero inches per year.

“When I finally experienced it, I was super excited,” Rivers says. “I have a new thing checked off my bucket list: to finally experience a true snowfall.”

For students who are used to it, most are irritated with it. For some, it even reminds them of home.

“I’m not a fan of the cold weather,” says Scott Ketch, another freshman. “It feels a lot like home. I do think that the snow is pretty to look at.”  

Ketch is from Rochester, Minn. In his experience, he had gone to school most days when there were essentially “snow storms,” saying that “school only got canceled if the plows couldn’t get out. If the plows could get out, we went to school.”

While Ketch is used to the snow, he finds it pretty entertaining to see those who aren’t.

“I think it’s funny to see everyone’s reactions, because for the most part, everyone is excited to see snow unless they’re driving on it,” Ketch says. “That’s the scary part. People that don’t usually drive on snow have a hard time figuring the roads out.”

Expect roads to be wet and icy this weekend, as numbers are supposed to drop to frigid temperatures. There is a winter weather advisory out for the city, Stay safe and stay warm, Braves.