Trevecca community works to recover after winter ice storm disruption

Macey Smith

Student Reporter

Days after classes resumed following a winter snowstorm, many Trevecca students are still working to catch up on their missed classes, delayed assignments and disrupted schedules. 

A record-setting ice storm on Jan. 25 forced the university to cancel in-person classes for a full week and while classes have since returned to normal, students and faculty say the interruption created many academic challenges that could not be resolved immediately. 

Power outages, limited internet access, and difficult communication during the storm left some students behind before classes even resumed. 

Freshman Daniel Beadle said the snowstorm disrupted both his living situation and his coursework. 

“The power went off in Benson, so I had to move to a classroom to sleep in,” Beadle said. “We had to sleep on the floor, which wasn’t the most comfortable.” 

Bead said the lack of power made it difficult to complete assignments. 

“During the no power, I wasn’t able to get much done and had to wait until I got to someone’s house who had power,” he said. “I had no connection, so I had to try my own data.” 

Freshman Desire Booker said the break from classes made returning to a normal routine challenging. 

“The week off got me really out of rhythm with school,” Booker said. “On top of that, it was difficult to contact my professors and know what was going on.” 

The disruption in classes extended beyond traditional coursework. Kathryn Abraham, ASB Darda editor-in-chief said the storm affected projects and deadlines. 

While Abraham said the snow week allowed her lots of time to work and meet deadlines, communication with her staff was stalled.  

“A lot my job involves is reaching out to people to get pictures and information,” Abraham said. “A lot of people were not able to get in touch during this time, so I kind of lost out on a week of that.” 

She said the cancellation of Spiritual Emphasis Week, which was expected to receive significant yearbook coverage, added to the challenge. 

“I was prepared to get a whole page covered on that with photography and writing,” Abraham said. “Now we’re kind of scrapping that.” 

Abraham said the week following classes being cancelled has been the most difficult as deadlines approach quickly. 

University staff say they are aware of the academic strain this week has caused. 

Provost Tom Middendorf said the university is doing its best to assess and plan a response to the impact this has had on students and employees. 

“It is a huge disruption when we can’t be present together. It’s even more complicated when we can’t move to virtual operations. The ice storm impacted our ability to move to virtual operations due to power outages,” he said. 

Middendorf said that faculty have been encouraged to work with students who continued to experience difficulties after classes resumed. He adds that faculty has also faced challenges. 

“I also want to point out that many of our faculty were in the same boat. They had damage to their homes and power outages as well,” Middendorf said. “It was a huge disruption for them as well. I want to practice being gracious in moments of crisis. We all need to be a little more understanding in these moments.” 

Middendorf acknowledged that catching up can feel overwhelming and encouraged students to take it one step at a time. 

“We have to show grace for one another in these moments and keep things in perspective,” Middendorf said. “We can’t get it all back in one day. Be diligent and take it one step at a time.” 

As the University continues to evaluate its response and students’ work to regain momentum, additional academic support is also available through the university’s tutoring center. 

Mark Bowls, director of Trevecca’s tutoring center, said some students continued to face challenges even after classes resumed. 

Bowls encouraged students who are behind to review class recordings and contact their professors directly. 

“The number one resource for students when they’re needing help needs to be their instructor,” Bowls said. “That’s the person designing the structure, projects, tests and grading. Students who aren’t taking advantage of that are missing out on their number one resource.” 

If additional support is needed, students can request tutoring through Trevecca’s academic services website. 

Students can access tutoring by going to SharePoint, selecting “Tutoring Services and Academic Coaching” under Quick Links, and submitting a one-on-one tutoring request form. According to Bowls, students typically receive a response by the end of the day. 

The tutoring center employs about 130 student tutors and supports all general education courses. 

As students continue adjusting to packed schedules and delayed coursework, University officials emphasize communication, flexibility and use of campus resources as key tools for moving forward. 

“Missing those days on campus does not change the fact that we still have to do the work,” Middendorf said. “Attack your work. Don’t let it attack you.”