For many students at Ohio University, snow can be a pretty normal thing. Having grown up in northern parts of the country where snow is usually common, seeing snowfall is just another part of the winter months. For some students, however, the recent snowfall in Athens may have been the first they had ever seen, or at least the only snow they actually have had the chance to interact with.
While a significant fall of snow is usually magical no matter one’s age or how often they have experienced it, for others, seeing snow on the ground may be something completely out of the ordinary and their reactions to the powder-like sparkling substance can be quite incredible to capture.
Hopefully, students from more tropical areas didn't forget their snow gear. Although the snow may be beautiful to look at, the freezing-cold temperatures mixed with incredibly low wind chills can sometimes make for a rude awakening and rough adjustment for students used to the sun.
Izaak White, a freshman studying computer science, said he is originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, and this past week was the first time he had ever experienced snow before. He said he originally found out about the snow when his mother called him to tell him he should be expecting some flurries.
White said he had only ever seen snow in Christmas movies and that he had expected it to be a lot colder than it actually was. He was also surprised by the softness of the powdery substance.
White said he is thankful that his roommates prepared him with the appropriate equipment needed to be in the snow as it is something he had never had to deal with before. He said he was excited to be able to experience snow.
“It was pretty neat because one of my classes got canceled, and I got to go out there and play with it,” he said.
Emma Anderson, a freshman studying media and social change, said she is originally from Jacksonville, Florida, and although she has driven through the snow before, this year in Athens was her first time experiencing living in a snowy environment.
She said although she has needed a little bit of help from her peers, Anderson has been able to adjust well to the weather.
“It’s been an interesting adjustment because obviously I’m not used to the snow and when it first started to turn cold my roommates would laugh at me because I didn’t know how to layer properly,” she said. “So they had to teach me how to properly layer so that I could stay warm.”
She said although she will eventually be excited to go back to warmer weather, she is happy to experience something so new to her.
“I think I’m still enjoying it just because it's different,” she said. “I definitely do miss the warm, but it’s still nice to be in something I haven't had before.”
Rachel Grant, a freshman studying broadcast meteorology, said she is originally from Delaware and, despite some common misconceptions, snow is very rare and rarely falls in that part of the country.
She said she was able to spend time in the snow this week and that she was very happy about it.
“I remember walking out of my dorm and I had my winter boots on,” she said. “I was hopping in the snow so excited to actually see it and play with it.”
