Four consecutive snow days filled ACU’s campus with students enjoying winter activities like sledding, boarding, hockey and even ÂÂbody surfing through the ice and freezing temperatures.
Tino Angadicheril, freshman chemistry major from Arlington, purchased a five-foot long roof shingle and used it to body surf down the hill behind Smith and Adams Halls.
“We tied it to the back of a truck and went sliding behind it,” Angadicheril said. “It was a lot of fun until we hit a puddle and got soaked.”
Abbie Boyd, freshman elementary education major from Austin, also braved the cold.
“I love the snow,” Boyd said. “I’ve been sledding and played on the soccer field in the really deep snow. In Austin, we never get anything like this.”
Bobby Brown, junior biology and psychology major from Orange County, Calif., was among many students to aid stranded motorists.
After returning from lunch with Patrick Casey, junior marketing major from Fort Collins, Colo., Brown noticed a letter carrier struggling to free his car from the snow.
“We thought of the story of the Good Samaritan and figured this was our opportunity,” Brown said. “It’s always nice to help a stranger out rather than peg someone in the face with a snowball.”
Casey said that as a native of Colorado, he is used to similar weather conditions causing problems for motorists.
“You’re always thankful when someone does that for you, so I just tried to return the favor,” Casey said.
Brown said he and Casey used some of the packages and cardboard boxes from the mailman’s load to create greater traction for the tires. The mail carrier was able to return to business after 10-15 minutes.
“When we first saw him, he seemed pretty helpless at that point,” Brown said. “Being a mailman, he’s just lucky there weren’t any stray dogs around.”
For Emily Larimore, senior psychology major from Weatherford, the snow day brought more frustration than fun. The roof of her off-campus apartment collapsed due to the heavy burden of snow.
“I never imagined it happening to me,” Larimore said. “I didn’t know who to call. It was the last thing I ever expected to happen on my snow day.”
The roof is believed to have collapsed late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Larimore, who was over at a friend’s house, came home Wednesday to find her bedroom and hallway covered in white blankets of roofing insulation, her possessions completely ruined.
“It’s really hard,” Larimore said. “It’s easy to say possessions don’t matter, but you still need basic things to live. It’s just been a big downer for the day.”
After speaking to local firefighters, Larimore was instructed to leave her flooded apartment immediately to avoid any danger caused by exposed wires.
Larimore said she is most concerned about receiving coverage from her insurance company. She said the company would not be compensating her for her losses because of complications in switching coverage from her previous dorm to her new apartment.
“It was just a God thing that I wasn’t there or my dog,” Larimore said. “The roof fell directly on my bed and Bailey’s bed too. If we were sleeping, we would’ve been hurt.”
