While some grumbled about their early morning commutes after an overnight snowstorm in the Akron area, some students and teachers across the region got to stay nestled in bed a few extra hours Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of schools throughout Northeast Ohio experienced delays or cancellations when heavy, wet snow covered highways across the region and temperatures hovered around the freezing mark.
Many students chilled out and enjoyed their day off, but one teacher challenged her students to apply what they’ve learned in school in a cool way.
Shelly Brewer, a history teacher at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, texted her students saying she would award five extra credit points to anyone who built a snowman that resembled a significant character in history.
Dozens of student submissions rolled onto the teacher’s Twitter account throughout the day, ranging from famous authors to politicians such as “Chillary Clinton.” Students rose to her challenge, lining their tree lawns with snowy renditions of Zelda Fitzgerald, Annie Oakley and Donald Trump. A few even re-created historic scenes such as the Battle of Fort Sumter that started the American Civil War and George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War, complete with a snowy boat and surrounding snow dyed blue to look like water.
“I was thinking about building stuff, and our students are really creative, so I thought, ‘why not try it with snow?’ ” Brewer said. “I sent out a message and some of them have jumped on it.”
Kendall Bozick, a junior in Brewer’s AP U.S. History class, built both a Thomas Jefferson and Donald Trump snowman with her 13-year-old sister Kaleigh.
“I love history. I like the different sides of war,” Bozick said. “We know our side, and it’s cool to know the other.”
She said after the two had built the snowmen, her sister placed a leaf on top of its head, and they both agreed it looked like Trump’s toupee.
For others, the day wasn’t all fun and games and extra credit opportunities.
A winter weather advisory was in effect until 1 p.m. Tuesday. Unofficially, the National Weather Service reported that 2 to 5 inches of snow fell in Summit County through the day.
By 7 a.m., parking bans were being issued in communities throughout the region to make it easier for snowplows to clear the roads.
The city of Barberton canceled its trash pickup for the day.
The city’s sanitation schedule will now be delayed one day through the week.
Theresa Cottom can be reached at 330-996-3216 or tcottom@thebeaconjournal.com.