On Sunday, Jan. 25, Massachusetts was hit with a severe snowstorm, with snow piles reaching more than 20 inches and the Brandeis campus resorting to Zoom operations for the following Monday. This storm was the ninth-largest in Boston’s history, making it larger than most that Brandeis has to deal with. However, getting large amounts of snow is not really unusual for this area, having endured an even larger storm just four years ago. Clearly, this will not be the last time that our campus has to deal with snow. Although forecasts change dramatically from day to day, as of the time that we are writing this, there are more major winter storms forecasted in the coming weeks. Given the inevitability that Brandeis will once again have to deal with snow removal, we at The Hoot felt the need to reflect on how Brandeis handled this storm (constructive criticism intended).
Students have reported several locations where the ice and snow have created significant difficulties in navigating the campus or leaving their dorm rooms. A student living in Foster Mods told a member of The Hoot that due to the slope of their roof, snow would slightly melt overnight and coat their door with ice, shutting it from the outside. They have been using an axe to break the door open each morning in order to go to class. Residents in Ridgewood B found that the side door to the building closest to the parking lot ramp was not shoveled for several days, and piles of snow in the nearby T-lot were stacked precariously high, towering over the average passerby. Black ice was also discovered on the Rabb steps despite the salting attempts, a frightening prospect on an already dangerously steep stairway.
Sidewalks, roads, and pathways on and around campus were not plowed by the time classes resumed on Tuesday, Jan. 27. For example, the staircase leading up to Usdan from near Skyline Residence Hall was clear, but the sidewalk needed to get anywhere from the top of the stairs was completely snowed in. Students in East Quad and Skyline’s access to buildings like Usdan was restricted until the path was cleaned days later, well after classes resumed. Students in East also struggled to get to other buildings on campus, as the pathway to Skyline (which leads to the rest of campus) was not cleared until far too late. In addition, sidewalks leading to the Charles River Apartments went uncleared for days, leaving students to walk on the road in order to get to campus. As a result, students struggled to get to dining options, classes, and other campus activities.
It’s not just the snow that caused problems on campus. On Jan. 30—in the midst of the polar vortex that spawned the storm—a chemical leak in the Heller building forced it to be evacuated and closed for several days. The administration has confirmed to The Hoot that this leak was caused by “extended periods of extreme cold temperatures that placed unusual stress on heating systems across campus” (see our article for more information). This suggests that the storm has caused problems not only on the roads and sidewalks, but also to the very structure of the buildings on campus, and raises some concerning questions about their maintenance. Could the fire that engulfed Sherm on Feb. 2 (which is still closed as of press time) have also been caused by cold temperatures? Until we get more details, we won’t know for sure.
Unfortunately for all students with a sense of childlike wonder, snow days no longer mean class is cancelled due to the widespread adoption of Zoom. A positive takeaway from this massive snowstorm, however, even with classes still in session on Zoom, was the several students spotted playing in the snow around campus. From skiing down the Rabb steps to snowmen and snowball fights, the joy of a snow day still remains in the hearts of our community. Even with the challenges our campus has faced in trying to mitigate the effects of this extreme weather event, it is at least comforting to know that we find ways to make the best out of even the most treacherous of situations …
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