Hurricane Isabel spells day off for students

Brenna Beck

First-year women from Northlawn second prepare for a run in the hurricane.

Swimming in the five-foot-deep puddles, playing capture the flag, and sliding down muddy hills are not standard Friday morning activities on the EMU campus, but it's not very often that school is called off for a hurricane either.

Hurricane Isabel made landfall Thursday morning in North Carolina and made its way 300 miles northwest to Harrisonburg by late that night. According to the Daily News Record, sustained winds of 30 miles per hour hit leaving 200 homes without power. But on campus, it was mostly fun and games since school was cancelled due to the weather.

"At one in the morning, we went swimming in the big pond behind the science center," said sophomore Luella Kauffman.

"We were all really excited," said first-year Brenna Beck of her hall on Northlawn second. "We were running through all the puddles. It was really, really fun … Then we took pictures of us all soaked."

Some took the opportunity of a three-day weekend to go home or take a trip. Junior Hanna Martin was one of those students. "I went to my grandparents house in Pennsylvania and ate a lot of good food," she said. Sophomore Joel Shradley left campus, too. "I went mudsliding behind the science center and … went to see 'Five Iron' in Lynchburg. The roads were clear the whole way."

The storm had passed for the most part by noon on Friday, and the sky was clear. "I was kind of wondering why they canceled school," said Junior Adam Patterson. For others who would have needed to commute Friday morning, though, the decision to cancel school was a relief. Seminary student Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, who makes the drive from Harpers Ferry, said, "It's a good thing we didn't have classes, because there were trees down all over the roads and on the power lines. I could not have made it."

On campus, businesses such as the library and snack shop were closed as they always are when there aren't any classes. Other campus activities had to continue, though. "The show must go on," said Hosanna Goins. "We had play practice Thursday and Friday." Residence Life duties were also expected to go on. Community Advisor Luella Kauffman explained: "We were all prepared with flashlights in the case of the electricity going out. It was pretty interesting."

The decision to cancel classes was made by Undergraduate Academic Dean Marie Morris, Interim-President Beryl Brubaker, and Physical Plant Director Eldon Kurtz. "I was looking at things like weather patterns and what we might anticipate happening. We were concerned about classes not having power," said Kurtz. The main campus didn't lose power at any point during the storm, but some of the EMU-owned off-campus apartments weren't so lucky.

"A number of the houses on campus, like the rental properties had water in them. Parkwoods' basements were the most severe problems," said Kurtz. The driving rain also caused problems for the rooms on the north side of Northlawn. "It leaked all over Northlawn. Our rooms were just soaked," said Junior Jess Hewitson. "There were water bubbles in the wallpaper and everything. People's carpets are ruined."

Something good came out of the storm according to Kurtz, though. "We found out that the catcher ponds make great swimming pools and it would be great to plug them up for ice skating in the winter."