Earlier this week, Texans received news of an expected snow storm. On Wednesday Feb. 2nd at 4 p.m., students, faculty and staff received the first Code Purple of three. Classes were also canceled on all Tarleton State University campuses the following Thursday and Friday. The cancellation of classes resulted in a snow day for students and a much needed break from the craziness that the beginning of a semester brings. 

With the main Tarleton campus in Stephenville expecting a low of 14 degrees fahrenheit, we have received between 2-4 inches of snow. As we learned during last year’s freeze, snow days as a Tarleton Texan are anything but boring.

While taking a stroll through campus, you are sure to see snow ball fights, classmates building snowmen, friends using storage bin lids as sleds, people face planting on ice, students making snow angels and even the occasional sled tied to the back of a car. 

While friend groups often partake in impromptu snowball fights, this year a few students came together to put on a student led event in Heritage Park for a school wide snowball fight. From 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., DJ Kel (Markel Clark) and DJ Brooklyn (Jamell Winn ll) of the student body spent their afternoons creating a fun and vibrant environment for Tarleton students wanting to take advantage of the snow day. ‘’I wanted to give students the opportunity to participate in an activity on campus that was free and give everyone the chance to get outside’’ mentioned Clark. On Thursday Feb. 3rd, Heritage Park was full of students engaging in snowball fights, dancing to line dances, today’s hits and throwbacks and slipping and sliding around in the snow. 

Snow days at Tarleton are arguably some of the best days. It’s on days like this that we are given the opportunity to all come together and appreciate the simple things in life, like snow. It also gives us as students the chance to take a break from all the stress and anxieties we feel as the semester continues. Having a few days out of the week to relax and be with friends and family is beneficial not only to students but to faculty and staff as well. If we’re being honest, as Texans, it’s really fun to get to play in the snow every once in a while.

We know snow days are very exciting and there is lots of fun to be had, however, it is important to be cautious while making your way around campus as well as venturing out on the icy and snowy conditions the roads are in currently. Drive with your safety in mind as well as the safety of others. Tarleton State University also encourages students to keep all faucets at a constant drip and make sure to run the heater in your room or apartment while the temperatures are below freezing. These suggestions are made to ensure that we are all kept in a safe and warm living environment during the winter weather.