Many woke up surprised on Jan. 16 when there was no email from the Villanova administration announcing an official snow day. With patches of ice covering the Wildcat Path and snow on the ground for the first time in two years, several groups of people, including both staff and students, were expecting an extra day of Winter Break.
Though this was not the first “official” snowfall, as there was snow seen falling on campus in December, this was the first time the snow stuck to the ground. While there was no official cancellation from the University itself, the icy conditions still prompted several professors to schedule online calls with their classes, with some fully canceling first sessions altogether. The status of each student’s class was dependent on their respective professors’ commute to campus. While some professors live nearby, others take public transportation or commute from further away. According to NBC Philadelphia, approximately three inches of snow fell in Delaware County and up to four in surrounding counties.
I had planned to fly back to campus from my home state of Michigan the night before the snow fall. However, my layover in Charlotte was canceled and I was stuck in North Carolina for two days as the icy conditions in Philadelphia postponed all arriving flights. Camped out in a hotel with none of my luggage, I was also quite surprised that there was no snow day. Pictures and videos of the weather at Villanova flooded my social media. Even coming from someone who has grown up with snow, it seemed like a large amount. My second flight to Philadelphia was canceled. Luckily, I had family friends nearby, Villanova alumni, who took me in for the next night.
However, these “snow day wishes” were fulfilled later that week on Friday, Jan. 19. Many took this as a chance to catch up on sleep, while some took their makeshift sleds to the hill by O’Dwyer and Delurey. Many were flying down hills on the underside of tables and the tops of garbage cans. Freshmen Christopher Pino, Anthony Garenani and Jacob Wong constructed a snowman on Mendel Field, even placing a Wildcat shirt on it.
Due to Villanova’s demographically diverse student body, many students experienced snow for the first time. Those from the south and west parts of the country, including California and Texas, were excited when the fluffy white powder began to stick to the ground. Bryn Murphy, a freshman from Phoenix, had a similar experience.
“I’m from Phoenix, Arizona, a city where the coldest it gets is thirty-five degrees,” Murphy said. “I’ve seen snow in Northern Arizona before, but it was only the aftermath of a snowstorm.”
Murphy talked about how she spent the day “watching [her] favorite television show.” Other students who had encountered snow before, still found the day off to be a refreshing surprise.
“I’m from Albany, New York, and it snows a ton where I’m from,” freshman Connor Reilly said. “It can be a real pain when I have to go out or have school during a storm. I accidentally woke up early, checked my email and saw that we had a snow day.”
Reilly took the chance to sleep in and met up with his friends later.
Overall, snow days are an excellent way to recharge and spend what is a typically busy day relaxing. Since I was a child, I remember my mother waking me up and excitedly whispering, “You have a snow day.” The frequent ice storms and snowy conditions that cross over the Midwest provided many breaks during the winter months. However, the pandemic and the rise of Zoom allowed many teachers to simply move class online. While I think this is a safe call in many situations, both students and staff deserve days off to relax and regather their thoughts. Through the old tradition of snow days and other protocols, such as administration’s newly-implemented wellness days, the Villanova community can continue its Wildcat pride both well-rested and mentally healthy.
