Welcome back Flyers, watch out for frostbite! While the first day of Spring Semester was far from being considered “spring weather,” students were welcomed back on campus with warm smiles and even warmer classrooms to make up for the cold temperatures and the chilling wind.
The email from Lewis Police on Jan. 20 left students a bit unsettled. It included tips on fighting the extreme weather, while including warnings on how long one can be outside. Emma Morgan, a junior Education major, made the point that, “If it is so cold that you have to end the email with signs and symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite, it makes you wonder if we should have class.”
Morgan also took into consideration some of the students in the minority who may have been underrepresented in the decision to have school in a national weather advisory, “Some students don’t have cars and have to walk around campus, but there’s also students and faculty who take public transportation to and from campus.”
Ted Kobylecky, a freshman Nursing major and a campus resident, was asked about how he felt going to class. He commented, “I had to commute from one side of campus to the other and my hands and face were in pain from the cold wind.” There are necessary precautions that must be considered when dealing with this cold weather-hat, gloves and coats are a must. Yes, it does ruin outfits, but the alternative is potential illness due to the cold.
Andrew Ciarlette, a junior Exercise Science major, had a differing view, “Even though it was cold, there were warnings and most people that have lived in Illinois for most of their lives are pretty prepared for winter weather.”
It is important to consider student education during weather like this. “Being in class and in person with professors is vital for some students to learn,” Ciarlette mentioned, “I think it was important for students to attend class since it was the first day of the semester. No matter how boring syllabus readings are, meeting the professor and peers is important.” Connecting with members of classes is difficult over Zoom. One could even argue that the cold weather gave students another thing to connect with each other about.
