School was out and a thin layer of snow blanketed the ground, but the only movement across the Chapel Quadrangle was students making the trek from dormitory to library.
Although about a dozen students played Frisbee and football on Main West Quadrangle late Monday afternoon and others spoke of plans to go sledding or build snowmen, many students spent the day indoors with their books.
"People have realized that the snow stinks," said sophomore Francesca Pignataro, who spent Monday studying for a statistics test. "Everyone got it out of their systems after the first storm [in December]."
Despite many students' business-as-usual attitude, the University operated under its severe weather policy through the first shift Tuesday, mandating that essential staff report to work. In addition to canceling classes Monday, the University closed a number of resources early, including the buses - which stopped at 9 p.m. - and Wilson Recreation Center. Some venues, such as The Blue Bistro in The Oak Room, did not open at all.
As of Monday evening, Tuesday classes were set to meet as scheduled unless announced otherwise.
Many used Monday to catch up on work or rest, as the day off came on the heels of a busy Valentine's Day weekend and preceded many students' midterm exams.
"This was a really busy weekend - a weekend where a lot of people didn't do a lot of work," said sophomore Katy McClure, who used the time off to stay warm and catch up on schoolwork.
Sophomore Sonny Shi agreed that the cancellation of Monday's classes came at an opportune time for many students. "Everybody had a test last week or this week, and it's good to have a little bit of a break even though we're probably going to have to pay for it afterward," he said.
Although Shi said he spent some time enjoying the snow and had plans to make a snowman in the evening, many students said they were less than thrilled with the newest burst of cold weather.
"This isn't fun snow," said sophomore James Saad, who studied Monday for an economics test. "You can't ball it up that well because it's mostly just solid ice."
Philipp Hövel, a visiting scholar in the physics department, said he had to fight to get to his office Monday. "Every time I took a step forward up the hill, I slid half a step backward." Still, Hövel said he was glad the power in his off-campus residence stayed on, remembering the damage of the ice storm that hit the region in December.
A few students managed to enjoy the snow - and not just because it excused them from Monday classes.
Sophomore Jason Jones, a Texas native, said he was "loving it" because he never gets to see snow at home.
Lena Hansen, a first-year graduate student in the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, said she spent the day studying and walking around campus taking pictures.
Most students, however, said they would rather have springtime weather, even though the snow brought a respite from the daily grind of school.
"Everyone's getting sick of the snow," said senior Kelley De Leeuw, who spent the day studying for a Tuesday midterm. "It's been a long winter."
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