You guys there’s no school! As you know, it’s because there’s a scary storm…named Sandy. Take a break from organizing non-perishables and filling everything in your apartment or dorm with water–NYU emails recommends one gallon per person per day–to contemplate the fact that Sandy is the name given to some of the nicest, most helpless fictional characters in recent history. Pop culture has taught us that the name Sandy is nothing to fear. Check out these examples:

Sandy from Grease

The musical Grease gave the world a lot of songs about cars and rock and roll and what it’s like for a girl to drop out of occupational school, but it also memorably gave the world an entire song about how naive and innocent Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy is. Look at her, she’s Sandra Dee–although her character’s trajectory ends with her becoming a bit more edgy, at her most badass, Sandy is pretty much still just a girl wearing leather at a carnival. Sandy remains one of the least intimidating female characters in a movie, and there’s no reason to be embarrassed unless you’re at a wedding reception and don’t know how to do the hand-jive.

Spongebob Squarepants‘s Sandy Cheeks

Spongebob and Patrick are great but pretty stupid and not always good at doing things. Squidward is smarter but also a huge grump. Sandy is a scientist and inventor, not only smarter than Squidward, but also much nicer to people who are less smart than her. Although it’s not uncommon for Sandy to get a little mad, or sad when she misses Texas, the underwater squirrel is always a good friend, and somehow simultaneously excellent at both karate and manners.

The Dad From The O.C.

Our Sandy–the meteorological one that cancelled school for us today–is female, which you can tell with minimal research because it comes between Rafael and Tony. But don’t let that stop us from a quick comparison to Sandy Cohen, that floppy-haired lawyer dad from The O.C. Sandy keeps things real and also fairly moral, serving as a good example his slightly more troubled son Seth and adoptive son Ryan Atwood. Can hurricanes be moral? Can they raise children? If any of them can, it’s probably Sandy.

Sandy The Shaggy Dog From Annie

The musical Annie tells the story of an especially perky red-haired orphan child who has to live in a terrible New York City girl’s orphanage. The good news is that she eventually gets adopted and Daddy Warbucks loves her very much, but before that happens she finds a friend in an adorable scruffy blond dog that follows her home to the orphanage. When all the girls in the orphanage first meet the dog, they joyously pet him and sing out possible names–Champion? Tiger? Nah, this dog’s pretty dumb–until Annie chooses the best name–Sandy. While you’re spending the next few days battening down the hatches and otherwise preparing for the worst, remember Annie’s kind words regarding her buddy Sandy:

True he ain’t pedigreed, Sandy, there ain’t no better breed.

And he really comes in handy,

‘Specially when you’re all alone in the night

and you’re small and terribly frightened it’s

Sandy, Sandy who’ll always be there!

[image via]