NOT SAFE AND NOT SORRY:

 NOT SAFE AND NOT SORRY:

High Point University’s plan of action for winter weather days was extremely rash.

Everyone knows that North Carolinians can’t drive in the snow. When a winter storm is on the radar, grocery store shelves empty days in advance. When the snow actually comes, and sticks, no one goes out. Southern states just aren’t as well equipped to handle snow, sleet and ice. 

Work and school is called off. Everyone cancels their plans and prepares to stay home until it is once again reasonably safe to venture out. That is unless you’re a part of the High Point University community. 

The way the university has responded to winter weather this semester has been extremely callous towards the health and safety of all of members of its community, whether that be students, faculty or other employees such as campus enhancement and HPU dining. 

Three inches of snow, sleet and ice began to fall across the triad on Jan. 16 and didn’t stop until late that evening, leaving roads and sidewalks in slick icy conditions. Even in the height of the winter storm, HPU dining and Campus Enhancement workers were forced to come into work.

Temperatures rarely ventured over freezing for the next three days, causing more dangerous icy spots to form. Snowy conditions remained, as the sun stayed behind the clouds and temperatures didn’t rise above 31 degrees. 

While there were already no classes on Jan. 17th because of Martin Luther King Day, the university sent out an email at 3 p.m. that day informing students that classes would begin at 9:45 a.m. the following day.

It is ridiculous that the university decided nearly an entire day early to delay classes by less than two hours. It’s obvious they didn’t consider the below-freezing temperatures and additional icy patches that would take place over the next 18 hours. Nor did they consider the health and safety of the HPU family what-so-ever. 

En route to campus the following day, numerous students, faculty and other employees reported dangerous road and sidewalk conditions, hindering their ability to safely get to campus. In a study regarding winter weather at High Point University, over 67% of students stated they didn’t feel safe traveling to campus.

Administration didn’t even consider offering online classes or virtual alternatives to students and faculty who didn’t feel comfortable commuting to campus. 

John Faye, the strength and conditioning coach for the women’s lacrosse team, men’s soccer team and men’s golf team at HPU, was involved in a scary car accident that left his vehicle totaled. 

“I don’t think they were prepared for the ice and snow,” says Faye. “HPU maybe should’ve canceled in-person classes that day, or even offered remote classes for that time. I know that the university had a few other injuries occur in just the athletic department alone, and a little more precaution could have prevented that.”

When the next snow day comes around, High Point University needs to have a better plan. 

They need to remember that human lives are in their hands. People’s lives were seriously harmed because of rash decisions made by administrators who didn’t even make virtual classes an option.

People risked their lives coming to campus. They could’ve given us just one snow day– a day to relax some and enjoy a rare North Carolina snow storm.