If you haven’t left your house, turned on your news, or looked at your instagram in the past week here’s some news for you: A hurricane came, conquered, and went. Joaquin swept right up our southern east coast, wreaking havoc in South Carolina and, thankfully, not reaching our little towns until he had calmed himself down a little. First, please, for the love of god, learn how to pronounce Joaquin right. Second, school got cancelled! The last time that happened was the last hurricane! And before that, that one time where it got below 30 degrees for three days and there was this white stuff coming from the sky. There was rumor floating about all day Thursday about whether we would be starting the weekend a day early with an impending Category 4 storm, but UNCW never came through. The real battering began over the weekend, as wind speeds and rain boot sightings picked up. By Sunday, it was clear this was not only a time for turtles and ducks to rejoice, but students as well. There was no way, with the rain gathering in every single crack of Chancellor’s Walk, that campus would be open Monday. #PRAYERHANDS. While there are over 14,000 students that go to UNCW, when a hurricane hits we can all be summed up into one of four types of people.
Type #1: The Production Crew
This is your student that still sets an alarm for the day-despite there being no lectures, labs, or meetings to attend. They are infuriated over the closure of Randall and all academic buildings. Typically, those in this group maintain close to a 4.0 grade point average while engaging in at least one non-academic extracurricular activity. These students wake up at their usual 9 a.m. time to get a jump start on the free day–creating new flashcards and spreadsheets and preparing for their nearest exam or two. Most other students are in envy of their sheer determination and willpower, their ability to choose school work over a hurricane-themed darty. Yet, they take their studies with a certain air of grace and humility, turning down invites and kayak rides (See: Type #4: The Avid Water Enthusiast) in favor of selecting the perfect study playlist to accompany their Introduction to Marketing recap. I like to call these students the “one percenters.”
Type #2: The Party Opportunist
Samantha Jones once said, “I don’t believe in the Republican party or the Democratic party. I just believe in parties.” Samantha would do well here at UNCW. Frats, srats, athletes, and GDI’s alike tend to look towards a hurricane day as just another opportunity to throw a party. Or if you’re lazy like me, you just sit in your yoga pants waiting for someone else to throw a party. Hurricane parties feature the best of the best; think sailors, grass skirts, and maybe a pirate or two. And the best part? It’s a Monday. And everyone else is working and studying while you’re trying to choose between the Valencia and Lo-Fi Instagram filters for that photo you just took with the island tapestry as the background.
Type #3: The Best Opportunist
I call this type of student the best opportunist only because they do the one thing I wish I could be doing day-in and day-out, Monday through Sunday: Sleeping. THESE PEOPLE ARE THE SMARTEST OF ALL THE PEOPLE. They literally stay in their beds and my god do I applaud them. My god do I wish I was them. They are my #goals. If you never left your bed on Monday, I applaud you. I envy you. If you wore army pants and flip flops, I would wear army pants and flip flops.
Type #4: The Avid Water Enthusiast
Being located just ten minutes from the most fabulous coastline in the United States has its perks. We attract thousands of new students a year that cannot wait to dive into the Atlantic, SUP on the intracoastal, and study our marshes and wetlands (looking at you, fellow marine biology students). We love the water. It’s no surprise that when a hurricane touches land near us, we are totally prepared. Half of us own something meant for water use, and the other half of us can create it. I’m talking skim boards, kayaks, snorkels, waders, boogie boards, and the like. I can confirm a kayak on campus this past storm. I may or may not also be able to confirm someone attempting to use a cooler for the same purpose. I saw countless skim boarders out on the IM fields and gazebo fields. I did spy several students walking with their surfboards and what looked like some clear intentions, but I would really like to know exactly what waves they were riding. Maybe they were just working on their in-water balance? I don’t know. Now let’s talk about the amphitheater. I would love to know what Brother Ross thinks of such a great flood invading his usual place of speech. Water was at an all time high–and all time brown. This is my inner germaphobe speaking, but if you jumped in, I sincerely hope you showered that night.
Whether you spent Monday in Club Randall or a literal club, you certainly took advantage of Joaquin’s arrival. I hope at least that you were able to say thank you to the skies above. I mean, not only have they given us gorgeous beach days for several months out of the year, but they also gave you a free day to do whatever it is your little seahawk heart desired.
Unfortunately, not everyone was able to enjoy the benefits of a hurricane blowing through, but rather had their homes blown over. If you would like to donate to the victims of Hurricane Joaquin and help our neighbors in South Carolina, check out the following donation centers: United Way of South Carolina and The Salvation Army.