Just three weeks into the semester, Murray State students got snowed in as the campus closed and classes were canceled.
For some students, this week-long snow break provided a chance to catch up with classes, hang out with friends and relax. Talan Hanks, a freshman media production major, said the snow gave him a chance to hang out with friends in his fraternity.
“It kind of sucked for a few days when everything was shut down and you really couldn’t get out and do anything,” Hanks said. “But I think … if you know some people and hang out with them, it makes it easier to get through the break.”
Hanks said this is his first semester at Murray State after transferring. So far, Hanks said he likes the campus and enjoyed his week off. He said he was a little sad to miss his classes, which he enjoys, but said it gave him time to finish his assignments.
Mark Gentry, a sophomore journalism major, said the snow provided an opportunity to make friends and make music.
“This has given me the chance to be creative and build more friendships and connections,” Gentry said. “I’ll hang out with people in my dorm because we’re all trying to find something to do.”
While Gentry said the snow gave him an opportunity to catch up on classes, he said he knows his professors will only come back harder after the break to make up for lost time. Still, he said the snow provided a mental break, which may help him through the rest of the semester.
Jaiden Harner, a freshman music education major, said he enjoyed getting to sled in the snow and meet new people during the storm. While he said he enjoyed the snow, Harner also expressed concerns that the break has put professors on a tight schedule, which might mean more work for students. Still, he said the break may have helped some students catch up.
“It allows some people to take their own paces with trying to catch up, because we had the first two weeks of school, so we kind of learned whatever our teachers are expecting of us,” Harner said. “So it allows us to prepare this week to see what we would actually need.”
Madeline Hendrickson, a sophomore psychology major, said the break had gotten pretty boring as it restricted her ability to leave campus. She said she got by hanging out with friends and walking to Taco Bell and Sweet Dots. Regarding her classes, Hendrickson said she wishes teachers had provided more instruction over the break so they wouldn’t have to make up for it later.
“(I) kind of wish that we could have done some online work instead of just knowing that we’re going to be behind in programming later,” Hendrickson said.
Hendrickson said the snow had also negatively affected her extracurriculars, specifically her preparations for her performance in “Fool for Love,” one of Murray State’s spring theater productions to go live on Feb. 26 to Mar. 1.
