Chicagoans woke up Friday, Jan. 23, to freezing temperatures as another wave of winter cold rushed over the city. With wind chills, the “feels like” temperature was between -20 and -40 degrees. Sidewalks and roads became dangerously slick and frost bite became an extreme risk.
Due to the dangerous conditions brought from the cold there was a widespread closing in schools due to risks in transportation. Hinsdale Central was included in this as students were told to continue with remote online learning instead of physically attending school.
Although the weather was intolerable, many students and staff were happy that they could complete their work from the warmth and comfort of their own homes. The decision to move classes online turned a harsh winter day into an unexpected break for students, and they did not take their day at home for granted.
“I woke up and filled out the forms for attendance in each class, then I did my work and the workload was actually light…all from the comfort of my bed I finished at 12 and had a full reset day where I cleaned my room and slept well,” said Laila Darwish, a senior.
Students’ attendance was taken based on their completion of google forms by 1 P.M. Many students were given simple assignments and they were at home and questions were not easily answered. So most students completed their assignments in a warm environment and spent their day indoors focusing on themselves.
“This was my first online school day in high school and I loved it. We weren’t required to join zoom calls so it was a completely independent learning experience…I made myself hot tea and enjoyed my lucky break playing games with my family at home,” said Tala Dola, a freshman.
One of the positive things about being stuck in the house is that kids get a chance to spend quality time with their families. Many students did their work and ran downstairs to play games, watch movies, and converse with their loved ones from the warmth within their home.
“I have to walk a block to school everyday from where I park my car so not having to walk in the brutal cold was a blessing, I spent the time I had doing that day’s work and also catching up on some past assignments which was amazing for me,” said Jad Dola, a senior.
Many students at Hinsdale Central walk as their form of transportation to school, so having the day off spared them slipping on the icy sidewalks or catching frostbite from the intolerable temperatures. Not all students treated this day as a rest day as many also utilized it to catch up on missing assignments or review things they have learned in class. This made the day at home even more efficient.