Winter weather closes college

As winter storms continue to pummel the 4-state region, creating hazardous road conditions and closing schools and businesses, Crowder students get time off from classes on account of “snow days.”

Many students, like Ericka Ogle, education major, take this time off to catch up on homework or just relax. “Snow days are great,” said Ogle.  “Not having school gives me time to catch my breath because of all the homework; I never have time to really be lazy.”

Only days after Winter Storm Q made its way across the states, dumping ice and snow along many parts of the Midwest and central states, another winter storm, this one named Rocky, targeted many of the same areas.

The Homecoming Dance

When Winter Storm Q swept across the states, leaving ice and snow in its wake, almost everything was cancelled, including classes at Crowder. “Q”, named after the Q Broadway Express subway train in New York, according to The New York Times, was the first real winter weather in southwest Mo. this year to cause enough alarm to cancel classes for schools and colleges all around.  For two days no classes were held at any of the Crowder campuses, which led to this year’s homecoming dance being postponed.

“It was kind of sad that we put a lot work into it [the homecoming dance] and it got postponed,” said Isabel Olvera, student housing activities assistant.

According to Mark Aubuchon, campus life coordinator, several hundred students were in attendance for last year’s homecoming, and a similar crowd was expected for this year’s dance, but with the winter weather and hazardous road conditions being what they were, the dance had to be postponed.

“We wanted to make sure everyone who wanted to come could make it without risking themselves trying to drive through snow or ice,” said Aubuchon.

According to Aubuchon, the dance has been rescheduled for April 4 to coincide with the 50th anniversary.

“The dance will be exactly the same as we had planned,” wrote Aubuchon in an email sent out to all Crowder students.  “Winners of the King and Queen will be announced at the dance as planned.”

Winter Storm Rocky

Less than a week after Q, Winter Storm Rocky followed in its path, again leaving the area blanketed in white.

“These last two winter storms are really the only significant winter weather we’ve had since February of 2011,” said Ray Foreman, chief meteorologist for KODE-TV, “and even then, we’ve only had 6” of snow and sleet for this year.”

According to Foreman, that’s about average for the season, and actually puts us ahead for the year on liquid accumulation.  “We have actually been just on the southern edge of the heaviest snow bands with most of the wintry weather being in northern Missouri and northern Kansas.”

While Neosho and McDonald County are actually at the southern edge of these storms, other locations, such as Greenfield and Nevada, were hit harder.  According to Brian Savard, a theatre major who commutes from Greenfield to Neosho for classes, there was close to two ft. of snow on the ground in his hometown.

“It was very harsh weather conditions,” said Savard, “with about two ft. of snow, and it kept snowing.”

With weather conditions being this harsh, Forman states, “The most important preparation should be for people traveling. Keep an emergency kit in your car just in case you get stuck somewhere and may have to wait for help to arrive.”