Heavy snow fell fast in Nashville Friday morning, with the largest snowfall since 2003, and Lipscomb students reacted fast with snowball fights, snow angels and snowmen.
“One of the most joyous moments of today was waking up at 7 and finding out that there was no class,” sophomore Libby Daughtry said. “So I’ve just enjoyed today sleeping in, hanging with friends and I’m going to get some hot chocolate later.”
And the snow isn’t going to end soon. Heavy snow moved into the Nashville area early Friday and continues to fall as the day progresses. Early in the morning, classes were canceled for Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, and university offices were closed.
Senior Caleb Janelle spent the snow day with his club, Sigma Omega Sigma. On Friday mornings SOS has a club breakfast, but their normal breakfast turned into something a little out of the ordinary.
“We went and got breakfast and came back out to throw snowballs,” Janelle said. “It’s been a lot of fun — ganging up on people when they come join us. It’s just fun being in the snow, especially because it’s wonderful-packing snow. Most the time, when you get snow around here, it’s just that really fine snow, and you can’t really make good snowballs out of it. But this snow you can.”
Janelle said he planned to spend most of his snow day outside, since Nashville doesn’t often get this much snow.
“I’m glad [the snow day is] on Friday because I didn’t want to miss too many days. The more we miss, the more disadvantaged we are. But I could take a Friday off — you know a three-day weekend.”
For some students, this Nashville snow is the first snow they have ever seen.
Freshman Bri Holland, originally from California, said she is excited to spend her first snow day out playing.
“A bunch of my friends woke me up and they were like ‘come outside’ and we looked out the window and we were like ‘oh my goodness, it’s snowing,'” Holland said. “I sent pictures to my parents, because they’re in California right now. It’s really exciting.”
Although Holland and her friends made the most of the snow day in the morning, she said they will be running in the snow during the afternoon for Lipscomb Track and Field.
“Eight miles, baby,” Holland said.
Holland wasn’t the only student who saw the snow as something of a phenomenon. Junior Anderson Young is a transfer student from Alabama.
“The only reason why I am here right now is because I thought we had classes,” Young said. “I plan to spend my snow day with a lot of sleep, and helping my friend build a snowman.
“I know for the most part I’m going to try to have a snowball fight with someone — make the most of it,” Young said. “And I’m a guy from Alabama, so we really never get this much snow.”
All the snow has caused many closings in the area, but Lipscomb’s food services have been made available through the Bison Cafe and Starbucks for students who live on campus.
Starbucks worker Michael Bjorklund made her way through the snow to get to work Friday morning.
“Well I have a Jeep Wrangler and it’s four-wheel drive, so I figured I could get home, plus I’ve lived in the snow before,” Bjorklund said. “We [Starbucks] are going to be open as long as we have people available to work — there are students coming in later that live on campus.”
In an email sent to students, Kim Chaudoin, assistant vice president of communication and marketing, said that the service operations team has been working to clear sidewalks on campus and the residence life staff is making sure students are comfortable in dorms.
Predictions show that the snow will not stop falling until 10 p.m.. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Middle Tennessee. This warning remains in effect from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday.
Check back later for updates and more photos.
Photos by Erin Turner, Becca Risley and Stephanie Schiraldi
Additional reporting by Becca Risley