After a long first semester, a 17-day break is exactly what many Manhattan High School students needed to rest and recharge before the final semester of the year. However, after Blizzard Blair made its way into town, Winter Break was extended even longer.

While some people stayed inside and watched TV, others ventured out into the snow to go sledding or try to drive to work. However, some people came back to school with more unique stories.

Junior Dezi Massengale spent three days snowed in with his girlfriend’s fami

ly after they invited him over to experience being “snowed in” with them.

“We had tons of hot cocoa, watched movies, played on her [Nintendo] Switch with her family,” Massengale said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime type event, 10 out of 10 would do again.”

However, not every student at Manhattan High School had a relaxing Christmas Break. 

Sophomore Lyla Wymer and her family were stranded in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after her flight back to Kansas City was canceled due to broken equipment on their plane. 

“It was kind of scary when our flight first got canceled and we had to find somewhere to stay,” Wymer said. “At first, we had to wait for our luggage and we had nothing with us.” 

After eventually getting their luggage, Wymer and her family stayed in a hotel for four more days before being able to safely fly back home. Even more unfortunate though, was barely missing out on seeing the Chiefs.

“The Chiefs were stuck in the Kansas City Airport, and I think they got the last flight out and after the Chiefs left, all flights were canceled,” Wymer said.

While being stuck in an airport is surely not the most ideal way to spend one’s break, being stranded on the side of the highway due to unsafe road conditions became an adventure for another student.

“We flew into Kansas City in freezing rain and dropped my brother off before spending the night,” senior Will Ivester said. “The next day we decided to drive home, but we got to Exit 313 and it was blocked off.”

Ivester and his parents decided to drive to Junction City to find a hotel, but after their car got stuck in a snowdrift and needed manual help from strangers to get out, they proceeded to be stuck for 10 more hours, not moving.

“We spent the night in a truck stop, and drove home the next day at 10 o-clock when the roads were cleared.”

While Winter Break is a much needed rest in between two busy school semesters, after days inside for some and days stranded in airports or on the side of the road for others, it’s good to be back at school.