Students relish rare day off

Some slept. Some studied. Some trekked into Center City. Whatever students were doing yesterday, they were not going to class. Most students discovered yesterday's University closing on Wednesday evening by calling 898-MELT. Immediately, many made plans for their day off. "We decided to go downtown," College senior Mary Chou said. "We're going to see a movie." But other students decided to stay in and simply relax. "I'm going to be sleeping, watching soap operas, and doing no work," College freshman Elyse Dorkin said. "That's it." Though students were pleased that the University was closed, many complained that it had not been closed earlier. "It's slippery and dangerous," Wharton freshman Sang Kim said yesterday. "They should have closed it before and they should close it tomorrow." "I think it should have been closed earlier in the week, too," College senior Karen Krigsman said. "For safety's sake, I think it's good that classes are finally cancelled." But the formality of an official closing wasn't necessary for Krigsman. She hadn't had a class all week. "I went to French on Monday and there was a note on the door cancelling class," she said. "On Tuesday, in Comparative Literature, my professor never showed up." Krigsman said her Wednesday classes begin at 3 p.m. and the University closed at 2 p.m. that day. "With the University being closed [Thursday], and I have no classes Friday, that means I will have had the whole week off," she added. "I personally haven't wanted to leave my house anyway, though I had to because I didn't know my classes would be cancelled." Many students attempted to use the day to catch up on their studying. "Right now, I'm studying," Nursing sophomore Rachel Rosenkrantz said yesterday morning. "I'm probably going to work most of the day, catch up on sleep, and, most importantly, relax." "I have to catch up on a lot of work," Kim said. "But it's hard to study in my room because the Quad is so noisy." Kim added he wished Van Pelt Library, which closed Wednesday afternoon, was open. "I probably can't study that much without the library," he said. "So I'll end up watching a lot of TV." Several students decided to skip today's classes – which were subsequently called off – and go home for a long weekend. "I'm driving home to New Jersey soon," Engineering senior Ryan Reber said yesterday morning. "I'm just bagging the class I have tomorrow and making it a long weekend." The slippery roads would not be a major problem, Reber said. "The roads around here are pretty rough," he said. "But once I get on the highway, I'll be OK." College freshman Nick Lemen, wrapped in a towel and carrying shampoo, had quite different plans for his free time. "Showering," he said, when asked how he would be spending his day.