The Weekly Ringer

The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper

Photo essay: Snow day transforms campus into a whimsical welcome-back to the new semester

2 min read

Mary Washington transformed into a picturesque sight as the snow covered the historic campus.

by ABBEY MAGNET

Photo & Sports Editor

As snow fell upon Mary Washington’s quiet campus on the night of Monday, Jan. 15., one could only hope for an extra day off before the semester officially started. The following morning, Eagles arose to a winter wonderland—a campus covered with a beautiful white blanket of snow. As a result of the overnight snowfall, the first day of UMW’s 2024 spring semester was canceled. 

Due to the predicted snowy forecast for Tuesday, a decision was initially made on Monday evening to cancel classes until 11 a.m. for the following day. However, the decision was re-evaluated in the morning and classes were canceled for the entirety of the day instead. In addition to safety information that was communicated to the campus community via email, students were also informed that they could take advantage of the first snow of the year without classes getting in the way. 

With classes canceled, students partook in various activities throughout campus on their day off, with some spending time outside building snowmen, taking photos with friends or adventuring out to find the perfect hill to sled down. Meanwhile, others stayed inside where it was warm, enjoying the wintery scenery from the comfort of their beds.

Snowmen, in various shapes and sizes, were littered throughout campus in many different spots. This one was located on top of the Monroe fountain.
International students Anna Vilain, Lyson Piasecki, Irene Castellet and enjoy the snow with their friends as they take photos and relish in its beauty.
A bench covered in snow that's placed right in front of Ball circle with Virginia Hall in the background.
Ball circle was a popular spot to make snow angel and have fierce snowball fights. Students eventually created a massive ball of snow still slowly melting in the center of ball circle.
From the Eagle Landing patio, students could admire the layer of soft, white snow that covered buildings around campus. With few drivers on Emancipation Highway because of icy conditions, a calmness fell over Fredericksburg, Va.
Students at Eagle Landing met to build and decorate snowmen in the courtyard.