On Sunday January 25 at 12:00 AM snow started falling in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV). A week before the snow started to fall, many people began to worry because word had spread that the snow would reach up to 12 inches. This caused people to panic because the snow would prevent them from going to work or school. Therefore people started to buy what they needed for the snowstorm and many shelves were being emptied at stores. People would buy toilet paper, water and food to be set. ERHS and other schools were panicking as well, knowing that the snowstorm would affect the students’ learning, upcoming tests, and the semester being delayed. This snowstorm soon had a strong impact on the community.
One ERHS student explained “ The snow storm affected me by getting a lot of snow around my neighborhood that later on turned into ice.” Students described how the ice made it difficult to walk to the bus stop, back out of parking lots, and safely drive through the neighborhoods. They also mentioned that some bus and metro stops were covered in the snow, making transportation unsafe or unavailable. Parking also became difficult because snow covered many spaces and some people took spots that others had cleared.
ERHS student were greatly affected by the school closures. Carlos Mejia an 11th grader at ERHS said “ The closures made students missed lessons [and] many fell behind [on] their work.” Another student, Neymar Guzman, also an 11th grader, has explained that this was partly because not everyone had access to chromebooks, thus concluded the reason why no virtual classes were held during these days off. Carlos Mejia also shared that “Many sports and school events had been cancelled [and] some were moved to later dates,”showing the effects of the snow covering the field. Teachers helped students adjust by reviewing lessons and giving extra time to complete assignments. While some students were excited about having time off, others felt bored or worried about forgetting what they had learned. The school year was eventually extended to make up for missed days and students believed the school may plan for virtual learning in the future to better prepare for snowstorms.
