It's Raining Snow

Halleluah!

OK, it's not raining. It's not even snowing anymore, but I've always loved the term "thundersnow", so why can't it rain snow?

I'm back on campus for what will be a one-day week for me. Fresh off Spring Break, which really didn't exist for me, I got to extra days off, though I know at least one of my classes was not cancelled, and I'm guessing another wasn't as well, but even if they weren't cancelled it brings up a question of policy.

There is no consistent policy at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) regarding snow days. It really differs from teacher to teacher, which makes things even more confusing. So, I enforce my own winter weather poilicy: If I don't feel safe driving to class, I don't go. And I think that is something UNO has severely overlooked.

Let's think about this. UNO is a non-traditional campus. There are still not many dorms on Campus, and that is the biggest factor. OK, Iowa State, South Dakota-- they have dorms, so it's not like the students can't walk to class. UNO is a commuter campus, most students drive from home to class, which changes the issues.

The main issue is student safety-- just like it was in high school-- though, I will admit that the schools around here close way to easily. But if you've ever seen a Nebraskan drive, you know why. One flake sets off utter chaos in the streets.

I choose to take no part in it.

My official policy is as follows: If I live to see tomorrow, my education will catch up. Quite simply, going to school is not a reason to risk injury.

The people around here can barely drive on dry streets. Icy, rain, snow, even wind make matters worse. But the common though process around here is that four-wheel drive and anti-lock breaks will keep you safe.

WRONG. You can't even drive with those features as it is, now you're over-confident in the snow, and you're the guy trying to drive 55 miles per hour downhill in a blizzard-- at this point, you had better take your hands off the wheel and start praying, because the only way you're stopping is when your car rolls over and friction eventually slows you down.

Then you've got the other idiots-- driving 5 miles an hour up the hill. Speed up-- just a hint, speed limits are the safe driving speed in ALL conditions. At 5 miles an hours, you're not going to have the momentum to drive up that hill. Now, you're slinding back, causing others to brake, they lose momentum, and you've got 12 cars sitting at the bottom of the hill-- some of them occupuying the same space.

So, I choose to sit at home, in my house, at the top of that hill-- safely laughing my ass off at the morons who forget how to drive in the snow.

The other factor that UNO refuses to take into account is that even if the city has cleared the main streets, they do nothing on the side roads. Matters are even worse if you live outside of city limits-- like I do. If I can't get out of my driveway, I'm not going to class. To get to class, I have to drive down, then up the hill that is already tied up-- and that implies my car is not already sideways in the subdivision. Why risk it?

As a commuter campus, UNO should close when the public school close. It's the only true option. Why add to the problems already out there? The majority of students commute to campus, so it's not like we can simply hike through the snow, or walk on the sidewalks that are already cleared. Think safety first, not money.