This has been a historic winter for the Northeast. Boston topped 100 inches of cumulative snow for only the second time in recorded history. So far, Brandeis has closed four times and delayed opening once. The Brandeis Hoot would like to thank facilities workers for the phenomenal job they have done to preserve Brandeis students’ safety during repeated snowstorms. We believe the entire student body is appreciative of their efforts and would like workers to know this. The crews have worked tirelessly, often overnight, to clear roads and pathways, ensuring the campus is navigable very shortly after snow has stopped falling, or even while it is still snowing. Sodexo employees have kept Sherman Dining Hall open each snow day. Staff members from dining, public safety and the grounds crew have come to campus despite the difficulty traveling as result of the severe weather and have spent several nights sleeping in campus housing.
Though some students have complained about Usdan closing and walking to class in the snow, student activity was impacted rather minimally. Workers’ efforts have allowed students to retain near normalcy during the storms. Students on campus do not need to shovel nor worry about stocking up on food and supplies. Furthermore, while students have enjoyed sleeping and relaxing on their days off from school, Facilities workers have worked non-stop on a very limited amount of sleep. Over February break, workers still worked diligently, even though only a small number of students remained on campus.
It is always challenging to recoup after a snowstorm, but this winter in particular has demanded so much from university employees. Though some students expressed thanks, their efforts did go somewhat unnoticed. The Hoot editorial board affirms our gratitude and encourages all students to share their words of thanks and encouragement with workers, who are undoubtedly deserving. These are essential members of the Brandeis community. The editorial board believes that in general, we must be more conscious of the scores of people who work to keep the campus running and recognize their efforts.
