Editor’s Note: Krista Allen was not one of the students drinking Jim Beam in the Quad. The Daily Reveille apologizes for this error.
A group of students sat in the Quad drinking cups of Jim Beam to stay warm Monday evening. “It was so cold that I just had to have a drink or two of Jim Beam just to stay warm. It also kept us from being completely miserable while socializing in the Quad,” said Brent Broussard, biology junior. But some students awoke to the chilly weather Monday morning and decided not to go to class. The National Weather Service reported that temperatures in Baton Rouge on Monday dropped to 31 degrees at 7 a.m. and climbed only to 50 degrees during the day. And the cold weather that kept some in bed Monday morning is not forecasted to change much in the next few days. Monday night saw temperatures drop to the mid-20s, and the forcast for Tuesday keeps highs in the 50s. The weather service puts Wednesday in the mid-60s, and Wednesday night the mercury should drop to the low 40s. Barry Keim, Louisiana state climatologist, said Monday night will be the coldest night of the season “with the temperature dropping to 26 degrees for several hours.” He said it would warm slightly through Wednesday and Thursday but will be “completely miserable with rain and low temperatures throughout the day.” Keim also said Baton Rouge is not the only area nearby getting a freeze, and parts of the New Orleans area may be susceptible to a freeze Tuesday morning. “LSU physical plant and piping systems could really have problems with the freeze tonight if pipes and buildings aren’t insulated well enough,” Keim said. Alexandra Ghara, political science freshman, did not make it to class this morning. “I just felt that it was too cold to get out of bed, let alone walk to class,” she said. “Even later in the morning when the sun came out, it was still really really cold, and I had to dress in layers to stay warm while going to my other classes.” Other students reported having trouble starting their cars and driving to campus because of a lack of antifreeze in their engines. Some students said they had to come despite the weather because of school work. “I really thought about not going to class because of the weather, but with finals coming up I just knew I really needed to go even if it was almost freezing,” said Jeff Herman, international trade and finance freshman. Jay Ducote, political science graduate student, said he also wanted to stay in his bed Monday morning but found himself heading to the University to work on his thesis. Other students said they found other ways to beat the cold by studying in Middleton Library and other warm spots on campus. “The weather sucks, and . . . it really does make things on campus seem dead and depressing on the student body,” said Willie Velarde, biology junior. Krista Allen, history freshman who was also drinking Jim Beam in the Quad, agreed. “The cold makes things pretty dead on campus, but we are still out here to shoot the breeze like normal,” she said. Zach Fereday, microbiology freshman, said he hated the cold and was late for class after having to return to his dorm room to get a second jacket. Fereday said he was also concerned about his health after just getting over a very bad cold and was concerned that the dropping temperatures and upcoming precipitation would cause a relapse in his illness.
—–Contact Keith Lorio at klorio@lsureveille.com