First snowfall of the school year proves challenging for UK students

Two+UK+students+walk+past+each+other+outside+of+the+Whitehall+Classroom+Building+during+class+change+on+Tuesday%2C+Nov.+12%2C+2019%2C+at+the+University+of+Kentucky+in+Lexington%2C+Kentucky.+Photo+by+Michael+Clubb+%7C+Staff

Two UK students walk past each other outside of the Whitehall Classroom Building during class change on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo by Michael Clubb | Staff

Hailey Peters

On a snow day last year, UK student Alex Fields slipped on ice and cracked his phone.

Tuesday, as the first snow of the school year covered the ground, Fields and other students around UK’s campus aimed to keep both feet underneath of them while walking to class.

But once classes were over for the day, students like Katie Teague said they wouldn’t mind going down head-first to the ground while they play in the snow to relieve some stress.

“I cannot believe it’s snowing this early in the school year but I’m not even complaining,” said Teague, a junior Arabic studies major. “I’m from [Washington,] D.C., and the East coast gets some pretty regular snow, but we don’t really have hills like you do here. If I can find something to use as a sled, I’ll be going down that slope in front of Willy T. later.”

Other students that aren’t as used to the extremes of Kentucky weather weren’t as excited to wake up to the sight of gray skies and the white blanket of snow over the ground that’s existed since daybreak.

Elaine Marsten, a senior marketing major from the Los Angeles, California area, is one of those students.

“Back home it’s pretty much 70 to 80 degrees and sunny all day, every day, and any change in that causes everyone to lose their minds,” Marsten said. “My body is not groomed for this, even after being a student here for years. I’m wearing probably about four layers and I’m still scared I’m going to freeze.”

Lexington wasn’t the only area in the country to receive snow overnight, but it is one of the few places where college students had to look outside and decide whether they wanted to go make snow angels or make the slippery trek to class.

Whatever you decided to do, we hope you stayed warm.