On January 20th, 21st, and 22nd students surprisingly received three days in a row off of school. Monday January 20th was Martin Luther King Junior Day and students were aware that this holiday would cancel school. However, on Monday afternoon, Lakeview School District made the decision to cancel school for the next two days in a row due to extremely low temperatures. As uncommon as it is to receive two days off in a row, the bitter temperatures were unsafe to be out in. Therefore, the unexpected five day weekend left students at Lakeview with plenty of time to enjoy off of school. Lots of students are still wondering what their friends did with the unanticipated time off.
Students had to get creative with activities they could do inside due to the fact it was dangerous to be outside for long periods of time. Senior Gage Woofter said, “I didn’t really know what to do at first when I found out school was cancelled two days in a row because it was too cold to go outside. I decided instead of just sitting on my phone the whole time, I could try playing board games with my family. Since we were all kind of stuck in the house together, my brother, mom, dad, and I just got out some old board games and played together. We played Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, and Go Fish. These games may seem childish and silly, but spending time with my family was actually really nice. Nowadays everyone is just on their phone, so it was nice to have a break from that as well.”
Other students were in the same situation as Woofter. Like Woofter, many decided it was safest to stay in their houses to avoid below- freezing temperatures. Senior Aanna Athey said, “When I found out the weather was too cold to go outside or to school, I was actually an hour away from Cortland, visiting my grandparents. Because of this, it was too dangerous to drive all the way back to Cortland to see my boyfriend, friends, or parents. As sad as I was, I used this as an opportunity to spend more time with my grandparents. Living an hour away from them is hard, so it was honestly amazing to get to spend extra time with them. We decided to bake cupcakes, watch classic movies, and look at my old baby pictures and videos. I’d say I am pretty thankful for the unexpected time off, and the fact that Lakeview cares enough about student’s well being to cancel school for our safety.”
Temperatures that week were dangerously low across the country. In Cortland, the temperature dropped to negative 15 degrees at one point in time. This means that sub-zero temperatures not only affected schools, but also affected school clubs.
That Wednesday, January 22nd, Lakeview’s Ski and Board Club anticipated their last trip. However, the freezing temperatures at Peak n’ Peek in New York were even worse than Ohio’s. Senior Gage Mymo said, “I was kind of sad when I realized our trip got cancelled. I was really looking forward to going. Even though it was cancelled, I used the days off to spend quality time with my girlfriend. We watched movies with her parents and listened to music. Although it was a bummer we couldn’t go skiing, I understood the school was just keeping us safe. Our trip was rescheduled for this upcoming week, so it worked out for the best.”
As temperatures finally rise above sub zero levels, students are returning to class with plenty of stories to share. Whether they spent their time baking, relaxing, or reminiscing, one thing is certain– the unexpected break was a winter surprise that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
