NOTE: Read Part 1 here. Love you. ❤
A STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED IN the State of Indiana, along with 25 other states in the Central US. The 2019 Polar Vortex was far worse than I could ever imagine — than anyone could imagine. And here I was, sitting in my bathroom, fire lit in my bathtub.
It goes without saying that I don't expect my deposit back.
It seemed to me that all hope was lost. I sat on the lid of the toilet seat and watched snaps of people, their cars, and their pets freezing upon contact with the outside air. Those who made it to class went prepared with layers and layers of North Face jackets and military-grade aircraft insulation. Those who realized the true gravity of the situation put on thick protective layers before taking to the streets — rioting, looting, total chaos ensued from Fresh Thyme East to Fresh Thyme West in Bloomington, IN. It was a free for all — no man’s land.
It wasn’t long before Lord Of The Flies-esque ensembles formed, factions of college students, among others, setting out together in order to survive in this new Ice Age. The first to go, so it seemed, were the liquor stores — the Fall of Big Red, some would go on to call it. And shortly after, rioting and violence escalated.
My girlfriend texted me, “Where are you? I heard it’s cold out.”
“It’s more than cold out,” I responded, recognizing the gravity of the situation, “You’re on your own. Good luck.”
“Baby what” — And that was the last I heard from her. One can only assume the worst.
Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society. — Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
18 HOURS AGO, A BOARDROOM ON CAMPUS
IU President, MICHAEL McROBBIE; LAUREN ROBEL, IU Provost and Executive Vice President; along with other administrative officials, sit to discuss a potential University Shutdown.
MICHAEL McROBBIE: G’day, all. Have we decided? Are we cancelling school tomorrow?
LAUREN ROBEL: I still don’t see any reason why we should. It’s always cold around these parts, what’s some wind going to do Hoosiers like ourselves?
ADMINISTRATOR 1: But the students are protesting and the petition has 30,000 signatures!
ROBEL: That’s all talk, we’ll be alright.
ADMINISTRATOR 2: But wouldn’t it make students feel better, especially the freshmen in Foster and McNutt who had to literally breathe in black mold for a whole semester without knowing?
ADMINISTRATOR 3: They’ve forgotten about that by now! Most of them are Kelleys — they don’t have long-term memories!
ADMIN 2: You raise a good point, I say we keep our doors open!
ADMIN 1: Well, if everyone else is okay with it, I am too!
McROBBIE: I agree, let’s proceed as usual tomorrow. All in favor?
[All Administrators raise their hands]
McROBBIE: Alright, everyone dismissed. Have a good evening, mates.
[ALL EXIT except for McROBBIE and ROBEL]
ROBEL: Another job well done, Mr. President.
McROBBIE: Thank you, Provost Robel.
[SCENE]
PRESENT TIME, January 30, 2019. 2:00pm
About six and a half hours have past since I rushed home. All hope seems to be lost. I took the chance of opening up my door and glancing out my window. It was bright and sunny, a clear day, but Mother Nature could not lie to me. The trees shivered as the wind blew upon their branches. Frozen students were inanimate along the sidewalks of my apartment community. I may be the last one left, I thought to myself.
But as I thought this, the sound of stomping appeared above me — my roommates. They were still here. What would I do? With all the looting, the fighting, and public discord, should I rush to tell them to stick together?
But it was too late. The front door opened and the whistle of the wind coming through the door was met with a shriek from upstairs. I knew what had happened, and I knew what the wind would do if the front door stayed open. I couldn’t confront it, and back to the bathroom I went.
I looked around. I chuckled to myself. It was clear, was it not? This is the end. To live in a bathroom, inhaling fumes from a fire made of candlewax and toilet paper, with no ability to seek help or refuge — it was the end. I checked my phone. I went on Twitter.
You can’t even make this up. God save America.
IT WAS THE DAY AFTER THE COLD ARRIVED. And you could say it was colder.
I emerged from under a pile of blankets, some of which were bound solid by a thick layer of frost. I fell asleep from feeling faint and found my fire burnt out. I bundled up the blankets I could salvage and made my way upstairs. The front door was open, and what was left of all three of my roommates were beginning to melt and chip away onto the flooring. It was a tragic moment, yes, but this was not a time for moping.
There was still a windchill of -11. The war was not over, but Mother Nature won the first battle. I checked my phone if school was cancelled, but realized that frankly, school was the least of my concerns. I checked the news:
CITY OF BLOOMINGTON DECLARES MARTIAL LAW AFTER POLAR VORTEX RIOTS
BLOOMINGTON, IN —A students’ riot grows to immense proportions as Monroe County is left devastated after polar vortex. 55 arrests were made in the Bloomington area as students’ riot grows out of hand, while another 60 arrests were made in Monroe County. While people suffering from severe frostbite are still in line at the IU Health Center, reports are estimating anywhere from 500 to 3000 weather-related injuries. A count on weather-related casualties has not been reported.An estimated $25 million in damages was dealt to the Bloomington region after riots and acts of violence hit local businesses across the city. Insiders claim that Indiana University students will be dismissed for the rest of the current school year to recover from this national disaster.
Published 1/31/2019, 4:55am.
It’s 8am. That was published hours ago. I wonder what it’s like now. The city must be devastated. Those students had no place being outside like that, and because of that, they destroyed the town. I can’t believe this happened. They even stole everything from Kilroy’s.
I looked out the window again. It was sunny, a clear day. I could tell it was cold, but all I could think about was what was to come. I hear the same thing happened at U of I. We’ll probably have to rebuild.
I received a text. It was from my girlfriend. I sighed in relief. I’m glad she’s safe. I knew I had to apologize for what I said. I opened her text, “Hey, are you okay? Weren’t we supposed to carpool today?”
“You have class?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong with you? It’s not like they’d close school just because it’s windy.”
TO THE IU ADMINISTRATION: It’s 3:08 PM. I know you all clock off soon. I don’t really care, I’m just writing these for fun. But please cancel classes tomorrow.
