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Monday, March 18, 2024
The Observer

University remains open after record snowfall

From Saturday night into Monday morning, the South Bend area accumulated record-setting amounts of snow, but the University of Notre Dame remained open.

“As fun as it would be to have the day off, that's not why we’re here. As long as it is safe for the teachers and students to go to class that’s what should happen,” senior Patrick Haggerty said. “It's when it's no longer safe that the University needs to seriously consider taking action to keep their students and staff safe.”



Students traverse campus during  the record-breaking snowfall on Super Bowl Sunday. South Bend  experienced an unprecedented 14.7 inches of snow during the ongoing Winter Storm Linus.
Michael Yu | The Observer
Michael Yu | The Observer
Students traverse campus during the record-breaking snowfall on Super Bowl Sunday. South Bend
experienced an unprecedented 14.7 inches of snow during the ongoing Winter Storm Linus.


According to the South Bend Tribune, the snowfall reached unprecedented levels.

“South Bend broke a record for snow on Feb. 1 with 14.7 inches,” the report by Howard Dukes stated. “That broke the 2011 record of 8.4 inches. Sunday's record-breaking snowfall in South Bend is nearly equal to the monthly average for the entire month of February (15 inches).”

Although the University did not cancel classes, students expressed little discontent with the snowy situation.

“I wasn't too upset school wasn't cancelled today, because I didn't expect it to be at all,” junior Eric Woitchek said. “Notre Dame has set a precedent of staying open even in the most extreme conditions. Last year, it took the entire city of South Bend to shut down for school to eventually be cancelled.”

The snow did not pose a major problem for on-campus students, as they did not have much difficulty traveling to their classes, Woitchek said.

“I didn't struggle to get to class today,” he said. “I live in Dillon Hall, so all I had to do was lace up my boots, throw on a coat and hat, and keep my balance walking for five minutes.”

Students noticed the work of Notre Dame Landscape Services, better known as the University's grounds crew, as they worked through snow to travel across campus.

“If you walk to class, you really have no reason to complain,” freshman Ryan McKeown said. “There was maybe an inch of snow on the sidewalks. Notre Dame never gets snow days. I was not expecting one, so today was a regular Monday.”

For off-campus students, the Notre Dame Security Police recommended making sure their cars were prepared for the conditions and the snow plows had the opportunity to do their work.

“I didn't have any difficulty getting to class, but I can't speak for the kids who live off campus,” Woitchek said. “If they were risking their well-being in any way to get to class, the administration made the wrong call.”

Off-campus senior Shannon Kirk said her normal route from Irish Row to the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC), which takes 15 minutes by car or 10 to 12 minutes by bus, lasted 45 minutes Monday morning.

“First, I waited in the cold for 10 minutes for the bus that never came,” she said. “Then I finally decided to drive, and when I arrived at school at 9:05, the C1 lot ... was blocked off because they were trying to plow it.”

“If they are going to have class, they should have campus roads and parking lots plowed by the time people are arriving for their first class,” Kirk said.

According to Kirk, senior Nick Muench, whose car does not have four-wheel drive, opted for an Uber ride to campus.

Off-campus senior Arturo Chiquito said he and fellow senior Alejandro Porras were able to take the TRANSPO bus from University Edge to get to class on time.

“It took a bit longer [to arrive at Notre Dame] because [the bus] went slower, but I felt safe,” Chiquito said. “I was fine with it. Most of the roads were clear.”

According to the faculty and staff newspaper, ND Works, it takes more than 500 tons of salt and 25 trucks of several varieties to clear the snow each year. Eight Bobcat Toolcats are used to clear the sidewalks, which is perhaps the most vital task in ensuring students make it to class on time.

“We are here to learn and pay a large annual sum for that purpose,” sophomore Louis Bertolotti said. “I'm glad that the University allowed us this great day of knowledge.”