For the first time in at least two decades, Wayne State College had two snow days in a row on Feb. 1 and 2.
Director of facility services Chad Altwine was one of a team of workers that stayed up until midnight shoveling snow. At least three employees worked all night.
“We try to keep the roads and emergency exits open in case there’s a fire or medical emergency,” Altwine said.
He considered this bad weather just part of living in the Midwest. Altwine also said that working harder not only keeps the campus safer, but also allows the school to open sooner.
“The only real issue we had—and it was not weather-related—were the cars parking on the streets overnight. With vehicles left on the streets, it slows the snow removal process down,” Jason Mrsny, campus security manager, said.
Although there were setbacks, like having cars in the road, the overall response seemed to be positive.
“Judging by social media, our students were really happy about the snow day,” Jay Collier, director of college relations, said. “I’m glad everyone is safe and no one had to commute.”
The main way the college contacts students about snow days is via student e-mail or on the college website.
However, the college also kept students informed via Facebook and Twitter pages. During the snow days, the campus added 180 more likes on Facebook and around 100 new followers on Twitter.
Students used these forms of social media to comment. Some posted how they were catching up on homework, while others posted pictures of themselves out in the snow.
If bad weather comes around again, it is suggested students keep an eye on the student e-mail or website. But info will also be provided via social media.
“The snow days were fantastic,” senior Christopher Turner said.