We’ve all been through it before.

The snow will start to fall and students everywhere will wonder if instead of their 8 a.m. class, they’ll have a date with Netflix.

Classes that were scheduled before noon were cancelled on Feb. 2 because of snowfall that occurred the previous weekend.

How is the decision to cancel class due to weather made?

According to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Michael Anderson, it’s really a simple process. Jeff Carstens, the Vice President and Dean of Students, and Anderson will communicate through the phone on whether or not to cancel class.

“For the most part it’s a judgment call. It’s like being the home plate umpire. You can’t tell whether it is a strike or a ball, so you make a judgment call,” Anderson said.

They’ll both look at a number of various reports on road conditions and the weather before coming up with their decision.

Anderson prefers to look at the Nebraska Road Condition’s website, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) weather report.

While there are 1,400 students living on campus, a number of students and faculty have to travel to WSC.

Anderson wants people to think about their safety before making the drive.

This is why he offers students and faculty the option to call in and let WSC know if they won’t be able to make it due to road conditions.

Another factor they think about before making their decision is what day of the week it is. It is well known that a number of students go home on the weekends to spend time with families or work.

“The whole town is about 10,000 pounds lighter because of the laundry that goes home,” Anderson said, laughing.

That is why a decision might vary on a Monday compared to a Wednesday.

Once that decision is made, it is then relayed to Jay Collier, the Director of College Relations at WSC.

He’ll then spread the word through various platforms like WSC’s website and social media.

Collier also uses a program called Snowcap Online. This program allows him to simultaneously send a message to all local news and radio stations in the area so they can broadcast it to the public.