By CAITLYN SWAIN
Courtesy Photo
With the holiday season under their belts, UA students patiently anticipate the next incentive for celebration, procrastination and excessive Facebook status updates: the first ice storm of the year.
In the past three years, students have reveled in the ice, snow and most importantly, the possibility of class cancellation. It’s no secret that we’ve experienced a mild winter thus far, but history serves that Jack Frost won’t let us down in 2012.
All hooplah aside, the inclement weather has done some serious damage to the city in the past. In January 2009, an unprecedented ice storm hit Fayetteville, leaving many homes and businesses severely damaged. Tree branches covered the streets, and schools were forced to close for days at a time. During that year’s horrendous storm, Arkansas was even declared a federal natural disaster area by President Obama. With the help of some power generators and a good mug of cocoa, UA students braved the biting cold and made the best of a frightening situation.
Ty Murdoch, a UA senior majoring in biology, remembers the 2009 ice storm with a sense of awe.
“I remember standing on my porch and watching transformers explode,” Murdoch said. Though that picture may suggest a grandiose scene from a Michael Bay film, the ice storm aftermath certainly lacked the thrill of technology. “We didn’t have power for a week, and practically lived off the gas fireplace in our house.”
Mike Killingsworth, a senior majoring in anthropology, recalls a similar experience. When the power went out, he too was alarmed by the electric cataclysm.
“It sounded like gunshots going off. We heard limbs falling all around us, got scared, and ran to a friend’s house,” Killingsworth said. “We also came across a woman whose house was wrecked by a tree branch, so we stopped to help her.”
Many citizens of Northwest Arkansas had to rely on the kindness of strangers during the storm.
An unexpected glacial deluge isn’t enough to keep Fayettevillians from having fun, however. Most students cherish their memories of playing in the snow. Throughout the past few winters, students passed the time with sledding, snowball fights and quality time with friends.
Killingsworth shared his favorite spot for icy merrymaking.
“On campus, the best place for sledding is the hill on J.B. Hunt,” Killingsworth explained. “We even hiked to Chik-fil-A from Mission Boulevard once. It was insane.”
The devastating effects of past ice storms have undoubtedly brought citizens together. Mayor Lioneld Jordan expressed pride for the people of Fayetteville in their efforts to relieve those affected.
“The compassion and generosity of the people in our community is never more evident than when facing our collective difficulties,” Jordan said.
With the harshest winter months ahead of us, the possibility of yet another ice storm remains. If past years are any indicator of the season to come, the UA can expect lots of precipitation.
When asked if he hoped for another snowfall this year, Murdoch replied with a smirk.
“I absolutely hope so,” he said. “No matter what hardships the storms bring, the snow unites us all.”
So, Hogsicles, let us sally forth into the winter and see what Arkansas has in store.