Matthew Moon would have skipped class to take to the slopes during yesterday’s snowstorm, but he lucked out when his professor canceled class instead.
The longer snow season this spring has U students who ski and snowboard cheering and missing class.
“When the weather is nice in spring, you have to hit the slopes while you can or when you get new pow,” said Teah Caine, a junior in communication sciences and disorders. She said she missed 10 classes last semester and many of them were for snowboarding adventures.
Ben Shewell, a senior in civil engineering, is not one to miss class often, but he has skipped twice this semester for night skiing.
“Nothing wrong with being a powder whore,” said Moon, an undeclared senior. “I’ve missed four times this semester, but I only have two classes. It used to be a lot more, when I took a full load.”
It takes a certain level of skill to cut class for the snow, especially this late in the semester.
“So much in class is involved from the teacher’s lecture,” Moon said about the downside of missing class. “One trick is the buddy system: photocopy your friend’s notes from the day that you missed.”
Ted Albright, a sophomore in bioengineering, said despite the fresh snow, he decided to stay in the valley Wednesday and today to study for a test at the end of the week.
Albright goes skiing with his friends, who often drive him to the slopes. He said that after a day of skiing he is usually exhausted and falls asleep during the car ride down from the mountains.
“I usually have to study that night,” he said. “Caffeine helps a lot to wake up in the evening.”
This season has had more snowstorms later in the season, which makes attending class difficult for skiers and snowboarders, said Albright. “I don’t really miss class unless it’s to ski,” he said. “We’ve definitely had a few more late season big storms this spring. My friends and I usually draw the line at 16 inches of snow. The night before, we’ll decide if there’s enough snow, otherwise we’ll go to class.”
Skipping class during Spring Semester is not a rarity for Catherine Warzhal, a junior in parks, recreation and tourism. She said she skipped taking classes in the Spring Semester altogether to maximize her time spent skiing.
In Fall Semester, Warzhal arranged her class schedule to enable more free days for skiing.
“I remember the first day of the season was October 5. I usually try to get my classes all on the same day in the fall, so I can have Monday and Wednesdays off for skiing,” she said.
Albright said he has considered arranging his schedule to enable prime skiing.
“Engineering makes it tough to skip for skiing,” he said. “I came to school to go to school, but I’ll try to get as many good skiing days in as I can.”
Moon said he has had to make some sacrifices for his passion for snowboarding.
“It’s definitely not the smartest decision,” he said. “It keeps you in school longer. It’s pretty obvious the teachers don’t like it at all, but I haven’t had any negative response. Just not super good grades.”
But Moon said it’s worth the price.
“If you skied or snowboarded, you’d understand it a little bit more,” Moon said. “Once you get your foot on the powder, you just don’t care to go to class.”
Sean Sullivanrecent snowstorms blanketing the mountains many students have found reason to skip class and head to the resorts.