The recent storm Jonas took us all for surprise as the snow kept piling up! However, no one was more surprised than students who were always used to warm climates and who had never seen this much snow before! Venissa Ledesma and Nicole Cvjetnicanin (a first-year and a sophomore at Gettysburg College) are two students who have rarely experienced so much snow. Below are their perspectives and opinions on this crazy weather:
Venissa Ledesma
Photo by Erica Boucher
Q: How much snow have you seen before this storm?
V: This is my fifth time seeing it, but I have never seen it fall this much!
N: Last year at Gettysburg College we had about one foot of snow that accumulated over the weekend. That was probably the most I’d ever seen, although I had been on trips to the mountains outside of Los Angeles where it can snow a lot.
Q: What did you do?
V: I walked around, attempted to sled, and had a snowball fight.
N: During this particular storm I stayed in a lot, at one point trekking across campus to do homework with some friends. We ended up playing outside in the snow for a long time.
Q: What do you still want to do in the snow?
V: Build a snowman, sled on a better hill, have a really big snowball fight, and make a proper snow angel.
N: I’d still like to go sledding. I used to go sledding a lot when I was little and my family would go on ski trips, but it’s been a very long time.
Q: What was your favorite part of it? What was your least favorite part?
V: The first five minutes is the best part because it is new and exciting, but then you can’t feel any part of your body and your face hurts, and it’s not fun anymore.
N: My favorite part was watching the snow fall from my window while listening to opera. My least favorite part was when I picked up the snow with my bare hands and felt like they were going to fall off of my wrists.
Nicole Cvjetnicanin
Photo by Erica Boucher
Q: Was it like you expected it to be?
V: I don’t think I expected the reaction I had to the snow. I thought that I would be more excited. I also didn’t expect it to be so much. But, it is pretty!
N: I think I didn’t expect the storm to be as bad as it was. I’m not used to businesses shutting down because of snow storms so that was inconvenient. My friends and I tried to order pizza from three different places, but we finally gave up and went to Servo instead.
Q: What was most surprising thing about the snow?
V: Learning that there are apparently different kinds of snow. Like, what do you mean there is a certain type of snow to build a snowman? It’s snow!
N: I think the most surprising thing was just how cold it was. Snow looks so peaceful when it’s falling to the ground in flakes, but it can wreak havoc on your biological processes.
Q: Are you looking forward to the next snow storm?
V: I’m looking forward to staying inside and just looking out the window from the comfort of my bed with a nice mug of hot chocolate.
N: Um, no. Haha, I am mostly looking forward to spring when I don’t have to wear ten pounds of clothing just to get a cup of coffee.
For those of us who grew up in cold places, snow isn’t out of the ordinary. However, for some of our fellow students, it is a new and exciting phenomenon! Whether or not they like the snow, they have some fun, new experiences to look forward to!