As a kid, I loved snow days. I loved having the day off to relax, but I don’t think about snow days now the same way I did then.
Snow days are important forstudent safety. I understand that we hardly ever have snow days and class almost never gets canceled because you can get to your
class in just a short walk, especially at Emporia State when you can walk across the whole campus in under 10 minutes.
Though this should not be the case.
While campus may stay open some students travel from off- campus with classes sometimes as early as 8 a.m.
Though ESU may do a good job at clearing sidewalks and streets from snow and ice it can’t protect students from the wind or how cold it can get.
If the temperature drops to 15 degrees in actual temperature or “feels like” temperature, I believe campus should close its classes.
This is to help students stay warm and help teachers who have to travel all the way back to campus to keep safe and warm on the roads.
Many people may argue that losing campus any time it is less than 15 degrees out is something they just can’t do because classes would fall behind.
When in fact teachers can email their students the daily classwork and assignments and have online classes. This prevents students from emailing the professor saying, “I can’t make it to class because of weather,” when they can simply log in on canvas and do the work.
This will keep classes up to date and help teachers to not have to rearrange their whole class.
Classes at ESU should cancel if the temperature is too low, not just start late.
Yes, the temperature may rise, but students who come off campus may still have to travel on uncleared roads. Some students may also be ill-prepared for winter and not have coats, gloves or hats to travel outside when it is still below freezing.
Plus, temperatures drop at night, so students who have night classes are still stuck in the freezing weather when the students in morning classes had their morning off for the same temperature.
By canceling classes when the temperature drops below 15 degrees, ESU can protect students and teachers alike from harsh weather.
It prevents students from getting sick from being outside in the cold.
It helps students who don’t live on campus to not worry about getting here in the ice and snow, as well as teachers who may not live near campus or in Emporia at all.
