With Classes on Hold, Students Enjoy Other Hands-On Pursuits

A midweek snowstorm offered students a break from classes … and the opportunity for some winter fun and creativity. At far left, a sculpted reader enjoys some leisure time on a bench outside Madigan Library. The bookworm was created by Zachary J. Snook, an electronics and computer engineering technology major from Coudersport, who also positioned Penn College "residents" atop benches on the mall and outside Dauphin Hall. Snook discovered his artistic skills over the semester break, when a foot-high snowfall on his mother's outdoor furniture led him to experiment with the human form. When inclement weather closed the college Wednesday, Snook said, "I figured I'd actually go out and do something, rather than stay indoors. So I played in the snow!" His crowd-pleasing creations, which he estimated took about an hour each,  elicited smiles throughout campus and attracted fans across social media. Residents of Lancaster Hall (in center photo, from left) – Shannon M. Claggett, a nursing major, and Brooke C. Smith, an early childhood education student, both from Doylestown; Daniel E. Mace, of Genesee, majoring in web and interactive media; and Jason B. Miller, a manufacturing engineering technology student from Mount Joy – crafted a pair of new friends (including a bear named Smokey) from the slushy snowfall outside their residence complex.