As Winter Storm Landon poured several inches of snow across Kent State’s campus pushing the university to close for two days of in-person classes; faculty, staff and students spent the time mostly at home. Some people slept in, others worked remotely and still others joined virtual courses. KentWired editors spent their time doing some or all of these things as well. The editors joined together to share how they spent the snow days – these are their stories.

Zaria Johnson, Editor-in-Chief

My snow day began like most other days do: with work. 

The Stater and KentWired planned to do some significant snow coverage, and part of that meant rolling out of bed at 9:30 a.m., making a Dunkin’ run for a hot, caramel macchiato and heading to campus to talk to anyone outside about their snow day.

I have to say, I’m typically not a fan of winter. I don’t like the cold, wet feeling of snow on my face — or worse, in my shoes — and I tend to focus more on how winter inconveniences me than anything else. But a few weeks ago in my poetry II class we read Wallace Stevens’ poem The Snow Man, which somehow manages to capture both the good and bad things about winter, and the beauty within it all. 

The end of The Snow Man, Wallace writes:

“For the listener, who listens in the snow, 

And, nothing himself, beholds

Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.”

There was a whole lot of nothing on campus that Thursday morning. The falling snowflakes camouflages everything beneath the cloudy sky, and with my own breath fogging up my glasses everything melted together into a hazy shade of gray. I couldn’t hear much at all from the cover of my deep hood other than plow trucks blowing by every so often to shovel a road only to be snowed over again.

But I saw a few somethings out there too.

My own fresh boot prints in pristine white snow piles before it turned to that familiar brown sludge. And even better, a golden retriever’s fresh paw prints trailing around the back of McDowell hall. A man in a neon green vest shoveling the same spot right outside of Leebrick hall. Then shoveling it again, and again and again. 

It’s easy to get lost in the nothingness of winter, but now is the best time to appreciate those little things that turn into big things when we notice they’re missing, and the little things we never knew we were missing until we see them right in front of us.

Kelly Krabill, Managing Editor

I opened my eyes to the sound of my neighbor chiseling ice off his car. Snow buried the white cruiser weeks ago, but now there’s resistant precipitation on top of the cold heaping mound. 

Peeking through the blinds verified the weather forecast: Wednesday nights’ rain turned into a slick surface for anyone leaving their house. But I had no plans to go anywhere except for 10 feet in front of me to my office where homework waited to be finished. 

Like most college students, I have a roommate. But my roommate is a 67-year-old woman with intellectual and developmental disabilities who I take care of. Her work was closed because of the snowstorm so she was home too.

Before eating a quick lunch during intervals of studying, I handed her a plate of food. She watched hallmark movies all day while I attended to a long to-do list.

My mom called me at one point to share stories about neighbors shoveling their driveways. I made small talk with the pizza delivery guy at dinner time. And the day ended with familiar faces at a virtual editors meeting.

Jimmy Oswald, Sports Editor

Living in the very last duplex at the back of our housing development is amazing. My three roommates and I are cool with our neighbors, so we can be as loud as we want because the next closest neighbor is way up the path leading to our house. 

It’s away from everyone else, so we don’t have to worry about others being loud when we don’t want them to be, and we get lots of privacy. 

But when the snow falls, our house turns into a different world. We are the only house with a gravel driveway, so they can’t properly plow or salt it. They also plow our entire complex’s snow to the edge of our driveway, which ends up blocking whoever is parked in front of our garage. 

Weeks after it snows and everywhere is cleared, our driveway still looks like a snow warzone. There is ice and snow galore, and we often get our cars stuck despite it not snowing in days. 

I used to love winter but now just leaving to get tacos turns into a whole adventure that I can’t deal with. 

Savannah Monks, Photo Editor

My snow day started on Wednesday night when I left my apartment to get pizza and to get my other friend Katie, who lives at another apartment complex. In all honesty I was somewhat salty for having to leave because I knew I would not get my parking spot back. Me being the genius that I am, I decided to use a traffic cone that I “found” a while ago to hold my spot.

After returning with Katie, the pizza and my two other friends (who I was told to pick up); I find that my spot and my traffic cone were both gone. As any sad college student who just had their traffic cone stolen, I wrote a note asking for it back, put it in a baggie, and I left it on the car that was in my spot. 

So as I walked back to my apartment where all eight of my friends were already starting to enjoy the night before a snow day, I decided that nothing was going to come from sitting around while feeling sad about losing one of my prized possessions, and I should just enjoy this rare college occasion. 

And to whoever took my cone in the Province parking lot, I want it back please. 

Kaitlyn Finchler, General Assignment & Features Editor

Spotted: general assignment editor Kaitlyn Finchler wiping off her car with her sleeve.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Wrong. Call me Scrooge, but I hate winter. Having to wear a sweater, jacket and pants 24/7 isn’t my idea of a fun time. 

It also doesn’t help that my apartment complex doesn’t know how to plow correctly, so any snow that gets pushed to the side ends up blocking our cars. On Jan. 18, the first time it snowed and classes were cancelled, it took me two days to dig my car out of the snow. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the little things that come with winter: wrapping Christmas presents, drinking hot chocolate by the fireplace and watching Christmas movies. But when it comes to actually doing human things outside in the cold, I despise it. 

I started out wiping the snow off my car with my sleeve because I don’t own a shovel, then I hopped in my car and waited for a little spot in the center of my windshield to clear up so I could go to work. 

I was only at work until noon, which isn’t bad, but the drive back was. I had to take multiple side streets instead of taking my usual route of Main St. to Lincoln to Summit. Once I got home I threw on my hoodie and sweatpants, jumped into bed and turned on Gossip Girl.

Xoxo, the editor that doesn’t like the cold.

Reegan Saunders, Assigning Editor

My snow day began on Wednesday at 9 p.m. At this point, we had received the alert campus would be closed the following day, so the only proper thing to do was celebrate. My celebratory drug of choice: an impromptu haircut using fabric scissors. 

After reveling in my successful endeavor, I went to bed. Usually, I sleep in on a snow day, but today, I had a plan. First, I woke up and made french toast with french bread I bought during my storm prep grocery run on Tuesday. After breakfast I logged in to a virtual session of class while I crocheted a new dress. A question for professors: why don’t you want a day off? 

Next, I hopped on FaceTime with my partner, Mia. They’re studying at the Kent State Florence campus this semester, so our calls are the highlight of my week. 

By then it was only 4 p.m. It was time to tune in to an exclusive broadcast where Tyler the Creator talked about everything from brown butter pastries to NFTs. The most interesting part of his talk– anything can be a luxury. Luxury is not always a $5,000 suitcase. Sometimes, it’s going for a bike ride or talking with someone you love. 

And because, especially on a snowy day, the news never stops, I spent my evening editing a few stories and attending a weekly editing team meeting. 

Alexandra Golden, Assigning Editor

It does not matter if I am 10 years old or if I am 20 years old, a snow day will always be exciting to me. 

When I found out Wednesday that all my classes for Thursday were canceled or optional, I was relieved. For the first time in weeks I was able to turn off my alarms and sleep in. I got to cuddle with my kitten, Willow, and catch up on much needed sleep. Nothing was waking me up, besides the meetings I had with my reporters. 

I was able to watch the snow fall from the comfort of my apartment and not have to go anywhere. The furthest I traveled was to my kitchen to make pasta. 

I caught up on housework I have been pushing aside because of my busy school and work schedule. It was very productive and much needed.

I am grateful I bought a shovel Wednesday for when I eventually had to leave my warm, cozy apartment to go to work Friday because my car was blocked in by all the snow we received the nights prior. 

As much as I love a snow day, I would love to never have to shovel again in my life.

Zaria Johnston is the editor-in-chief. Contact her at [email protected].

Kelly Krabill is the managing editor. Contact her at [email protected].

Jimmy Oswald is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].

Savannah Monks is the photo editor. Contact her at [email protected].

Kaitlyn Finchler is the general assignment editor. Contact her at [email protected].

Reegan Saunders is an assigning editor. Contact them at [email protected].

Alexandra Golden is an assigning editor. Contact her at [email protected].