Before I came to SMU, I was warned of the frightening ice storms that hit Dallas every million years or so. Being from Colorado, I simply laughed at the thought of an entire city shutting down at the mere mention of “sleet,” “freezing rain,” “cold temperatures,” and “ice.” We prayed for this kind of weather in Colorado. Here, people fear they won’t be able to stalk up on enough food to survive the 48-hour ice storm.
When meteorologists started dropping hints of freezing rain hitting the Dallas area, people flipped. Rumors quickly switched from the flu epidemic at SMU to how soon the announcement cancelling classes would be sent.
TCU, UTA, UNT and DISD all shut down for the afternoon. Businesses sent employees home early to avoid worsening road conditions. People curled up in front of fire places wrapped in space blankets.
SMU students continued to trudge to class. Never mind the sub-arctic temperatures and bits of ice blowing in their faces – SMU administration somehow felt it was completely natural to continue out daily routine in treacherous conditions.
When we were in elementary school – even high school – we lived for snow days. Teachers knew it was pointless to lecture about multiplication tables and American history when there was a raging blizzard tearing through Colorado. But in Texas, where half these people have never seen a snowflake, professors paid no attention to the frost-bitten students waddling into classrooms Monday afternoon.
Delaying classes on Tuesday was a good call, but what about those who gained absolutely nothing from the late start? What about those students who have all their classes before noon, but everyone else still had a full day. That seems slightly unfair.
I’ve never been a fan of TCU, but hearing they had classes cancelled on Monday and Tuesday while I dragged myself out of my warm bed into the Antarctic made me contemplate transferring. I even hate the color purple, but you can bet I’d trade in my red and blue colors for a shortened week. If anything, I could have used the extra time to . . . catch up on school work?
SMU, next time the entire city of Dallas has a “snow day,” would it be so hard to include SMU on the list of closed businesses? I promise your decision would not go unnoticed.
– Nicole Jacobsen
Editor in Chief
