The past few weeks at UMaine have been a blessing in disguise. We have definitely gotten a break from reality and classes with the excessive amounts of snow burying Orono. Exams have been postponed, classes have been cancelled and students have commenced in outdoor activities.
Snow isn’t foreign to UMaine students, yet some are saying this is the most snow they have ever seen in all their years here. Especially students from out of state are saying this is simply the most snow they have ever seen in their lives. According to Orono Police Department, Orono was “in a state of emergency”.
There was a record amount of snow- 30 inches- and students’ cars were so buried that it was nearly impossible to get some cars out of their parking spots. Some students say it took upwards of two hours to get their cars out. Apartment complexes in the Orono area are so jammed with snow that there’s virtually nowhere to put it all. While driving you have to look both ways before crossing the road almost five times to see over the mountains of snow blocking the visibility of oncoming cars.
However, the whiteout of snow doesn’t stop students from having fun. OHOP bar comes in clutch for the students racking in 50% off drink specials and providing a warm place to hang out with friends. Whether or not everyone had to walk across town to get there wasn’t the issue- it was more or less hoping for another day off from school. Besides catching up on schoolwork or hitting up the bar, students found time to make it a trend on social media to find outrageous ways to jump (or ski) into the incongruous quantities of snow with a possible beverage of choice in hand.
Campus is beginning to be a foreign place for students here at the university and some students are predicting more snow days ahead and have planned trips to the slopes to get some positive use out of all this snow.
One thing we can all say about snow days here at UMaine is that they’re short from boring. There’s nothing like making fun out of nothing up here in the good ol’ North. On a side note, everyone please be careful of the road conditions out there and be cautious.
Photo: @natesilsby Instagram