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WILKES-BARRE — For Laura Christman, the three-day snow break gave her a chance to catch up on her sleep and her studies.
Christman, a sophomore physician assistant and Spanish major at King’s College, was nearly alone in the campus center Thursday. Across from her was Sara Ahmed of Bartonsville, a bio-medical sophomore. Both were getting some last-minute, “in-case-we’re-open-tomorrow” classwork done.
Turns out, the girls made a smart move— just before 7 p.m., King’s announced it would be open on a compressed schedule Friday.
King’s, along with other schools in the Wyoming Valley, have been closed since Tuesday because of the record-breaking Winter Storm Stella.
As a resident assistant, Ahmed said fellow residents on her floor at Esseff Hall tried to make an igloo but it came out looking more like two tunnels.
“And we had snowball fights,” Ahmed said about her time in the snow.
Ahmed is from the Poconos, so she’s learned to enjoy the white stuff dumped by Mother Nature.
“We always get that one; this was it.”
Christman’s time in the snow was much shorter. The Bangor native spent an hour climbing on snowbanks and attempting to sled down them on whatever she could find in her dorm. Tupperware container lids worked for her, Christman said.
Across the city at Wilkes University, Sean Connelly and Jared Rasmussen were eating at Which Wich Superior Sandwiches in the student center. They already knew they would have another day off to savor. On Thursday afternoon, Wilkes canceled classes for Friday.
“I’ve been working on my paper, playing video games,” said Connelly, of Ashley.
Rasmussen, of Pensacola, Fla., used the downtime to visit his friends’ dorms.
But he knew there was serious work to be done as well. The nursing major has a previously scheduled test Monday that he needs to study for.
Snow sculptures
Misericordia University, which will open on a compressed schedule Friday, had different activities planned for those stuck on campus.
Paul Krzywicki, assistant director of marketing and communications, said the student activities department hosted events such as sled riding; mini pie-making; and fort building in the student lounge using blankets, pillows, sheets and furniture.
There was also a snow-sculpture contest, with first- and second-place winners getting prizes.
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