Last Wednesday, Mawrters woke up grumbling that our fourth day of classes was being cancelled due to “falling tree branches” due to the ice storm the night before. At first, people laughed it off since it seemed like a trivial reason after all the snow we had gotten before. All of us quickly realized it was no joke. Famous trees on campus became unrecognizable when sizable branches slammed to the ground and blocked roads and paths. In the beginning, most people were relieved to have a little more time off of class but around lunch time, the whole campus lost power and things got very real. I was abroad when Hurricane Sandy hit, so this was my first time experiencing a blackout with the whole campus.

The daytime wasn’t so bad because my room has lots of natural light because it looks over Denbigh Green. I was able to get lots of arts and crafts finished (upperclassmen and alums will understand the necessity of a creative study break) and spent time with a friend working on her applications. During the night with no power and internet, my hall residents and I made the most of it. We played cards, including two of my favorites: Mao and Jungle Speed, and ran around playing Sardines, which is reverse hide and seek where one person hides and everyone has to hide with them when they find them.

I am incredibly thankful to all the staff that worked so hard to feed us and make sure we got power, wifi, and heat back as quickly as possible. Dean Heyduk stayed into the night just so he could keep us updated on the power situation to make sure we were all safe. This will always be my favorite thing about Bryn Mawr: everyone in this community will do everything possible to take care of your well-being and support you.

Although no one likes to be without basic amenities, nights like these are incredibly important for hard-working Bryn Mawr students. When there’s no way to do homework, write papers, or study, everyone just has to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We all need a reminder that our studies are incredibly important but at the end of the day the friends we make and the communities we form are what shape us most and what we will carry with us long after we graduate.