By Ashley Walls
Sports Editor
Students at Asbury University are going to need a lot more than subzero temperatures and a little bit of snow before they can count on a snow day.
Provost Dr. Jon Kulaga says it is more than frigid weather and a little snow that goes into making the decision of whether or not to delay or cancel classes. “We do not have a ‘temperature rule,’ per se,” Kulaga said. “We are more concerned with road conditions and the safety of students, faculty, and staff traveling to Wilmore for work. Cold is just cold.”
Sophomore Madi Mitchell says that although a day off would be nice, staying in the regular routine of going to classes makes sense. “There really is no reason to have [snow days], considering we all live on campus for the most part,” Mitchell said.
In fact, U.S. News reports that 85 percent of Asbury students do live on campus. For this reason, Kulaga says the cold is not as problematic for college students who aren’t driving in the snowy weather, and who don’t have to wait outside in freezing temperatures for a school bus.
Rather than having a snow day and having to cancel class, Kulaga suggests that students who live on campus bundle up and wear more layers.
As for the other 15 percent of students who live off-campus, the policy for missing class due to bad weather is dependent on “the discretion of the instructor,” according to the Asbury Bulletin. But before students decide to skip class due to the weather or submit themselves to the harsh driving conditions, they should know that when bad weather hits the Lexington area, Kulaga is awake at 5:45 a.m., scouring the weather channel for the road conditions.
“Usually by 6:15 to 6:30 I try to make a decision,” Kulaga said. “A delay may occur if the road conditions — usually involving a combination of snow and ice — are such that it would be dangerous … to arrive safely by 8:00 a.m.”
Even so, the decision to delay and/or cancel a day of classes is rare. “In the seven years I have been here, we have had a few delays in the morning, and a couple of early releases in the afternoon,” Kulaga said.
Kentucky may be located in the “any snow” area of the Huffington Post’s map showing the amount of snow it takes to cancel school by region, but it might be wise for students to invest in wool socks and earmuffs before crossing their fingers for a snow day.