Although I am an avid lover of rainy “Washington weather” (as I like to say), I am compelled to constantly fear whether rain will hit Mayfield at any given moment. Observing and admiring the rain from within Strub Hall’s cozy classrooms is one of the best feelings ever, but walking from class to class in the rain and walking up “the hill” all the way from the bottom of it such as from the gym or worse, the mile from junior parking lot, is a terror. It rained immensely at Mayfield during the week of February 20, 2023, which meant that students had to pile into indoor eating spaces for lunch, such as the Student Commons and Sussex Room, and walk into Strub Hall with dripping umbrellas and rain jackets. It also meant that Mayfield’s Cubs had to take an alternate route to their classes, in order to avoid soaked shoes and damp hair, since that would be a bad way to start the day off. 

By the time a flash flood warning buzzed on the hundreds of phones in the pockets and backpacks of Mayfield students on February 24, 2023, the pressure had risen and the disappointed chatter commenced.

 “[The rain] makes it really difficult to get out of my car and go to class in the morning,” said Alisa Balian ‘24. “I sat in my car this morning and tried to gather the willpower to get out of my car.” 

“I was really lucky this morning, having somewhat of a shorter walk because I had a closer parking spot.” Chloe Leong ‘24 explained, “I still ran through the rain though.” 

Although I have not made the tricky trek myself, I have a horror story of my own. 

One rainy evening, after I had been rehearsing dance numbers for the school musical in the gym, I asked my parents to pick me up at the bottom of the hill. Little did I know that this would mean I’d have to cross “the river.” So called because when it rains at Mayfield, a torrential flow down the Mayfield hill creates Bellefontaine’s very own Class 4 rapid.  I’m five foot one and a half. So not tall. Crossing the Cub Canal is a dangerous task, and it definitely was on that particular rainy evening because the rapid was slipping and sliding more than I had ever witnessed. 

In a short wait, the striking rain had seeped through my backpack and wrinkled the pages of my notebooks. And to make matters worse, both of my feet completely submerged halfway to my knee as I tried to take the biggest leap my short legs could make. It was cold. It was ghastly. It was horrifying. At that moment, I truly regretted not listening to my mom when she suggested I bring my bright yellow rain boots to school. 

After this unforgettable experience, I have learned that The Smiths were right because that day “life [was] simply taking and not giving” because it really did take away my sense of grandeur. I also learned that it’s vital to bring the proper armor to school when a rainy occasion presents itself (rain jacket, umbrella, rain boots, etc). I now know that seeing a 100% chance of rain on the Weather app means that I’m in for an unforgettable day. My goal is to never fear the river again but rather to overcome it, and more importantly, live to tell the tale.