As students entered their third week of the winter semester, a temperature drop to near negatives resulted in a halt of activities on campus.
Students across Oakland University received a day off on Jan. 20, in celebration of MLK Day, but with frigid temperatures reaching no higher than 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the university shut down and sent out an urgent advisory that same night.
For Jan. 21 and 22, OU announced that all but essential university operations, such as the dining halls across campus, would be canceled unless otherwise noted. Non-essential operations included campus events such as MLK Day of Service and the Study Abroad Expo, which have either been canceled or postponed.
Oakland had just entered its winter semester, but students all across the university reacted to the extended break with open arms.
As schools all over Michigan began to close down in preparation for the cold temperatures, many students across OU’s campus waited for a similar announcement. When asked if they expected school to close, first-year student, Emily Wright, said they expected the school to close Tuesday, but was surprised to see Wednesday was canceled as well.
Along with the freezing air, high levels of snow and ice can pose a challenge for commuting students, such as Wright.
“(When driving to Oakland) I feel generally comfortable, however when it gets really icy and slippery it can be scary, but there hasn’t been too many days that have been that bad,” Wright said.
As for students who are living on campus, there have been positive reactions to the school’s closure. For many first-year students, living on a closed campus is a new experience.
“I was hoping that by some chance school would close because I didn’t know if college was like prior schooling, but I was expecting that I’d still have classes,” first-year student, Ryan Landy, said. “It was the same kind of excitement as I had in elementary school when I would wait for the phone call saying we didn’t have school. I called my boyfriend and my mom when I found out, to tell them that I didn’t have school for the next two days. I slept for most of them but went out to the mall with my boyfriend on one of the days since we finally had time to go.”
The closure offered on-campus students a chance to get out of their school environment and use the free time to explore the Rochester area.
Although it is the beginning of a new semester, cold temperatures and extreme weather at this time of year often result in a halt to on-campus activities. As a result, professors have learned to adapt to the weather in ways that seem best fit for their field of studies. However, students responded to the extended weekend in many different ways, such as using it to either relax or spend time with friends and family. While the bitter air may deem it a time for isolation, students found ways to enjoy the free time before continuing their academic journeys.
