Spring Break
Student expresses disappointment in lack of snow days
Issue date: 1/30/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
01/30/09 - To the Cigar,
As a senior here at the University of Rhode Island, I have spent currently three and a half lovely years living on campus, including two and a half of those years as a resident assistant (RA) in Browning Residence Hall. I am writing with a concern that I am sure most, if not all, URI students have during this time of year: Snow.
In my time at this university, I can say that classes have only been canceled a very small number of times, so small that I could count them on one hand. I understand that it is important for an institution to run as usual if at all possible, but after the weather and events of Jan. 28, 2009, I just had to speak up.
Anyone could have looked outside yesterday and seen the condition of the campus and would have thought it was unfit for large amounts of people to be walking around. The snow that fell in the early morning hours was converted to icy slush as the afternoon started to approach. Walkways became nothing but 2 to 4 inches of icy slush and water, especially as the rain began to increase.
This slush and the snow we had previously received made it difficult for water to drain anywhere thus causing the large number of icy puddles and streams everywhere. They were unavoidable. In the conditions, I witnessed several people fall down into the slush from the slipperiness.
It was almost impossible to walk around on campus and avoid getting wet feet, unless you had a pair of those rubber rain boots. I happen to have a pair of very durable LL Bean boots and my feet were STILL wet with the icy water after only walking from Browning Residence Hall to Swan Hall for class.
The expression was used many times that walking on campus yesterday required us to "ford the river" (a reference to an old computer game called Oregon Trail). It was funny, but in many ways true.
There was no way around the water and slush, except maybe walking in the 4 or so inches of snow near the pathways, which later had become icy due to freezing over. The buses were of no help because they were unable to be on time and the bus stops were full of slush and icy waters as well. The pathways to buildings were not kept up (academic buildings especially). As I said, I understand that the university needs to operate as usual as much as possible, especially so that class schedules do not get off course, but in a time like yesterday, when the students' health and wellness were at stake because of the weather conditions, I strongly believe that classes should have been canceled.
Walking around in freezing cold, soaking wet shoes all day as they go from class to class cannot be beneficial for one's health, nor can slipping and falling into the slush as you try and walk up the icy hill or un-cleared stairs. I am not sure if there were any serious injuries due to yesterday's weather, but that is not to say that it wasn't possible.
There could have been MANY serious injuries due to the condition of the campus. If the campus is in that bad of a condition, then perhaps classes need to be canceled in order to help reduce the possibility of serious injuries for students and faculty alike. However, it seems like we have no days called snow days here at URI.
Samantha Desmarais
As a senior here at the University of Rhode Island, I have spent currently three and a half lovely years living on campus, including two and a half of those years as a resident assistant (RA) in Browning Residence Hall. I am writing with a concern that I am sure most, if not all, URI students have during this time of year: Snow.
In my time at this university, I can say that classes have only been canceled a very small number of times, so small that I could count them on one hand. I understand that it is important for an institution to run as usual if at all possible, but after the weather and events of Jan. 28, 2009, I just had to speak up.
Anyone could have looked outside yesterday and seen the condition of the campus and would have thought it was unfit for large amounts of people to be walking around. The snow that fell in the early morning hours was converted to icy slush as the afternoon started to approach. Walkways became nothing but 2 to 4 inches of icy slush and water, especially as the rain began to increase.
This slush and the snow we had previously received made it difficult for water to drain anywhere thus causing the large number of icy puddles and streams everywhere. They were unavoidable. In the conditions, I witnessed several people fall down into the slush from the slipperiness.
It was almost impossible to walk around on campus and avoid getting wet feet, unless you had a pair of those rubber rain boots. I happen to have a pair of very durable LL Bean boots and my feet were STILL wet with the icy water after only walking from Browning Residence Hall to Swan Hall for class.
The expression was used many times that walking on campus yesterday required us to "ford the river" (a reference to an old computer game called Oregon Trail). It was funny, but in many ways true.
There was no way around the water and slush, except maybe walking in the 4 or so inches of snow near the pathways, which later had become icy due to freezing over. The buses were of no help because they were unable to be on time and the bus stops were full of slush and icy waters as well. The pathways to buildings were not kept up (academic buildings especially). As I said, I understand that the university needs to operate as usual as much as possible, especially so that class schedules do not get off course, but in a time like yesterday, when the students' health and wellness were at stake because of the weather conditions, I strongly believe that classes should have been canceled.
Walking around in freezing cold, soaking wet shoes all day as they go from class to class cannot be beneficial for one's health, nor can slipping and falling into the slush as you try and walk up the icy hill or un-cleared stairs. I am not sure if there were any serious injuries due to yesterday's weather, but that is not to say that it wasn't possible.
There could have been MANY serious injuries due to the condition of the campus. If the campus is in that bad of a condition, then perhaps classes need to be canceled in order to help reduce the possibility of serious injuries for students and faculty alike. However, it seems like we have no days called snow days here at URI.
Samantha Desmarais
