By REILLY YOUNG/Contributor
When a storm covered Tyler in ice Jan. 24-29, the university canceled in-person classes. Students were told to monitor email for updates as conditions developed.
Although power stayed on, ice covered campus roads and sidewalks. Most businesses closed due to unsafe travel.
The storm created problems for Adrian Martinez, a sophomore business management major who commutes.
“It was awful. I barely prepared food. I had to eat rice and beef for days,” Martinez said.
Driving conditions prevented him from leaving home.
“I tried to drive, but once I got out of the driveway I was sliding on ice with no control, so I went straight back home. There was no way I was going anywhere,” Martinez said.
Martinez was glad classes were cancelled.
“I thought it would be nice not to have class, but I knew assignments would be pushed back and I would have to rush everything because classes were derailed,” Martinez said.
He said the delay has affected progress in class. “Now I am a bit behind in classes, and so are the teachers,” Martinez said.
Students living on campus faced different challenges. While they did not lose power, they remained indoors for much of the week.
Karly McGuire, a freshman business major who lives on campus, said the storm made dorm life feel crowded.
“Because I share a dorm with my roommates, it got really crowded. While it was fun at first, it felt too crowded,” McGuire said.
She said students tried to stay busy in their rooms but some went outside to see the ice.
“We did have fun walking outside and seeing how icy it got, but because it is Texas, there was no snow, just ice,” McGuire said.
As the week continued, many students began thinking about coursework. Assignments resumed once classes reopened.
“Yeah, I was stressing about homework after the storm settled down because now we have to cram two weeks of work into one,” McGuire said.
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