I'm starting to wonder if the first day back at Longwood is cursed. Remember, you can't spell "Snow" without "NO."
Granted, we've only had significant snow on the first day of Spring semester and the first day after Spring break, but that's a heck of a coincidence.
I have noticed, however, that when there is inclement weather, it tends to elicit (at least what I would consider) strange reactions in Farmville.
Allow me to break down the process of a snow day (or snow scare!) in Farmville:
1. There are weather reports of a possible snowstorm that Farmville would be in the wake of.
2. It blows up on social media, students clamor for a snow day.
3. The snow starts.
4. The school has to make a choice about whether to close or not.
5. Students react.
It kind of baffled me earlier this semester and this past Monday when everyone was shouting for a snow day before it actually snowed. I lived in New Jersey for eight years, where, like the rest of the north, you wait for the snow to come before panicking.
The idea of calling a snow day before it actually snows (or at least before some incredibly ominous clouds roll in) is extremely strange to me. Second, it was really weird that people wanted a snow day for the first day of school and for the first day back after break.
What are you afraid of, syllabus day? Beyond that, you paid a lot of money for classes, don't you want to get your dollars' worth?
I actually think Longwood handled the cancelation of the first two days of this semester really well: there were reports of snow, snow started coming in the night before, they canceled school. As it snowed all day, the next day was canceled as well. I think that given the several inches of snow we got, in a rural town in the south, it was the correct call.
However, I disagree with how this past Monday was handled. It snowed pretty steadily for most the day, and the ground (including pavement) was eventually covered. School officially closed at 4PM, but I honestly think that's a bit of a moot point.
Yes, there are still classes that run after that (I had one that was canceled), but if you had to come to campus, you already did. I'm not a commuter, but I don't think there was enough consideration given to commuters coming (and leaving) campus with the weather. Specifically, I mean commuters who live a significant distance away (as opposed to those on High Street two seconds from campus), who had to drive on barely plowed roads.
The other issue I have with late closing (as opposed to a full day off) in regards to snow is that our campus is simply not equipped to handle snow (or ice, for that matter).
Waiting for the FAB by the library? There's no heating or cover. Walking on the sidewalk? Hope you don't slip (we don't need to salt the sidewalk most of the time so we don't). Hanging out outside? There's no covered seating. It goes on, but the reality is that our campus is not equipped to snow because, generally speaking, we don't need to be.
That's why when it does, I think that in most cases, we don't have a realistic option of holding classes.
I'm not sure what the solution is, or if there is a better one, but I think that recent experiences with snow can help guide better choices for the future.
