The cold weather closings posed issues for some students and instructors, but not for everyone. Sara Faraj | Washtenaw Voice
Lilly Kujawski
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Danny Villalobos
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The multiple school closings that occurred between Jan. 23 and Feb. 6 due to inclement weather conditions have put many students and faculty members behind in their course schedules.
“All the skills that you pick up in the first week have a chance to kind of atrophy when you miss a week,” said Amy Small, who teaches an artisan bread class for the culinary arts program at the college.
Small said she had to cancel a field trip that was planned for her students because of the school closings, but that the rest of her course curriculum will remain the same.
Classes that meet only once a week fell particularly behind, according to radiography instructor William Nelson.
Nelson said many faculty members have worked to make themselves available for students throughout the week, in order to help them with course materials, and have adapted curriculums to make up for missed classes.
“We’ve made adjustments using Blackboard, and by making changes to the course schedule, by extending test dates for students,” said Nelson.
Michael Zissler, a 35-year-old liberal arts transfer student, said his French teacher extended her office hours so students can get help if they need it.
Student Dock Riley, 68, said he was disappointed to miss his acting I class, which he described as “such a fun class,” but appreciated the support from his teacher.
“She made a statement on Monday that was very encouraging, that ‘we’re a little bit behind but we’re going to hang in this together,’” Riley said.
For some students and campus employees, the school closings did not pose an issue.
“Only one class got pushed back a week,” said Matthew Jones, a 20-year-old construction managment major. “It’s not too far behind.”
Teria Moore-Berry works at Subway and The Java Spot on campus. She said that because Aramark, the company that provides food service at WCC, is so big, she was able to pick shifts at its other locations in order to make up for the work she missed because of the school closings.
Many staff and students felt the college’s decision to cancel classes was the right one, due to potentially hazardous weather conditions.
“I also live a good distance away, so traveling in those conditions could’ve been potentially dangerous,” said Zissler. “So I could see the risk-reward assessment was probably heavily considered.”
WCC custodial employee Jason Lopez said he agreed with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s decision to declare a state of emergency on Jan. 28.
“Keeping Michiganders safe during this stretch of dangerously cold temperatures is our priority,” said Whitmer in a Jan. 28 press release posted on Twitter. “Such widespread, extreme conditions have not occurred in Michigan for many years and it is imperative that we are proactive with record-low temperatures being predicted by the National Weather Service.”
According to Lopez, it was so cold that some pipes in the Technical and Industrial building on campus burst.
WCC’s policy regarding school closures considers safety concerns for students and staff, water shortages and inclement weather conditions, according to Linda Blakey, vice president of student and academic services.
In the past, WCC has closed due to resources not being available, particularly in the case of a water shortage, said Blakey.
Terrie Peterman, a WCC custodian, said some of the facilities managment team still had to come into work on the days students had off. She said employees of the college still get paid even if campus closes.
Since the start of the winter semester, WCC closed down for a total of three full days, on Jan. 23, Jan. 28 and Jan. 31. Additional closings also came the evening of Jan. 30 and the morning of Feb. 6.
Eastern Michigan University, Concordia University, the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor Public School district, among others, also experienced school closings during the past few weeks.
A forecast report from The Weather Channel predicts that what has been dubbed “Winter Storm Maya”, will travel to the midwest early this week, which could bring heavy winds, snow and/or rain to Michigan on Tuesday.
Elizabeth Orbits, dean of support services, advised students worried about falling behind in classes due to closings to contact their instructors. She recommended students keep communication with professors open and ongoing and to ask if there are any additional resources or lessons available online.
