Centenary’s Snow-poca-versary Celebration
Photo by Haley Bordelon
The weeks that followed February 11th, 2021 were certainly memorable ones for the students at Centenary College of Louisiana. During a strong winter storm, many students lost access to water and heat. Many were required to shovel snow to use for the toilets or walk to the Gold Dome to charge their phone or take a shower. While this time may have had its difficulties, Centenary College wants to appreciate and acknowledge the comradery and connection that was present during this time.
To recognize what a special time this was for the campus community, Centenary College has announced their plans for the Winter Hazard Awareness Tradition initiative (W.H.A.T.). The college hopes that the W.H.A.T. initiative will remind students of the important occurrences from mid-February last year. “We really want to include freshman and transfer students on important aspects of the Centenary College experience,” said SGA President Jonathan Okereke. “It was really inspiring to watch all of Centenary come together during such a difficult time. We want to emphasize to our new students what it is like to come together as a community with a common goal of not freezing to death.”
Photo by Haley Bordelon
Centenary College has announced a full week of campus activities beginning on February 14th. On Monday, students are invited to watch as SGA conducts a ritual to summon a winter storm in the Whited Room from 6-8 p.m. President Holoman will be giving an address in place of the chapel service from 11:00-11:50 a.m. in Brown Chapel on Tuesday about how frostbite builds character. All are welcome to attend, provided they have the balls to trek through the ten feet of snow the campus received at 8:00 p.m. the night before. All campus showers will be shut off beginning at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning through 11:00 p.m. that night. Wednesday’s event is showers from 4:00-9:00 p.m. in the Gold Dome. Make sure you reserve your spot via the Bite app on Tuesday. Thursday’s event is “Cuddle your Catahoula!” from 11-1 on the Caf deck. Bring your blankets and body heat because campus is going heat-free all day! Last, but certainly not least, Friday! On February 18th, heating will resume at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning. During the day itself, the Centenary student body will enjoy a full day of shoveling snow for their toilets. Bucket pickup starts at 8:00 a.m. Lunch will be provided on the Caf deck from 11 to 1, courtesy of Sodexo.
Overall, the student body is very excited about this week of events. “I’m super excited to get involved,” said senior Callie Fedd. “There was always a part of me that thought campus life was missing something. This is the next best thing after Centenary in Paris!” After a few weeks of Zoom and outdoor classes, it seems as if students are ready for a return to normalcy. “I wish I had been here for the first snowstorm,” said freshman Emma Oertling. “I’m from California, so I would never have imagined I would get to experience something as cool as this.”
This initiative is just one step in Centenary’s plan to increase campus involvement. After the “Left-Handed Leaving” of last semester, where every left-handed member of all Centenary sports organizations quit within a period of two weeks, Centenary is looking for different ways to bring the community back together. “It’s almost as if all of the left-handed people on sports teams got Thanos-snapped,” said student Emilie Adams. “I really hope that a few power outages and snow-filled toilets can bring back the Centenary vibes that we all know and love.”
Centenary also has a few other events coming up later this semester that have the goal of increasing campus involvement. One such event is Centenary’s “72-Hour Easter Weekend Sleepover.” From the evening of Maundy Thursday to the morning of Easter Sunday, CLC will be hosting a sleepover inside Brown Chapel. “I really want students to know what it’s like to emulate me,” said the 2022 Corrington Award Recipient Jesus Christ. “What better way to do that than pretending to be dead for 3 days?”
Despite the division and discomfort that was present on campus last semester, Centenary students are overwhelmingly excited to begin new traditions. Whether it be traveling across Kings to shower or braving the cold because of a fire drill, Centenary students are thrilled to get involved in the W.H.A.T. initiative. Some say spring is a time of new beginnings. What a better way to begin the Spring semester than with W.H.AT.?
