Snowstorm devastates greater Boston area

At 10 a.m. last Tuesday, Feb. 1, students logged onto FirstClass received an announcement that the MIT Exchange Bus and Wellesley-Olin-Babson Shuttle would not be running the next day due to inclement weather.  For some students, this simply posed an obstacle to getting into the city, while for others, it necessitated changing their entire spring semester class schedule.

Peter Eastment, Director of Housing and Transportation, said that the early announcement was "intended to give students as much time as possible to cancel or re-schedule any commitments they may have had that depended upon the Exchange Bus and/or the Wellesley-Olin-Babson Shuttle being in service."  Eastment added that the chief concern in determining whether or not to run the bus is "always safety, and [last] Wednesday's road conditions were not safe."

Students without access to cars were forced to call taxi services for transportation to Babson and Olin, while those with classes at MIT were left with the MBTA Commuter Rail as the only financially viable option.  However, as the Commuter Rail is designed for those working a nine to five day, scheduling a midday trip into town proved difficult.  With only four trains leaving Wellesley Square between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the schedule was insufficient to accommodate most course schedules.  As a result, some students were forced to relinquish spots in classes, as MIT classes with "lotteried" enrollment require that students be present for the first meeting to have any chance of being selected.

Those with room for the trip in their schedules faced a trying commute.  Zoelle Mallenbaum '13, who is cross-registered for an Economics class at MIT, left campus at 2 P.M., only to arrive at her 4 P.M. lecture minutes before it began.  Mallenbaum said she appreciated the advance notice of the Exchange Bus's cancellation, but that she felt a "shuttle to the commuter rail, or other form of transportation" would have been helpful.  In last Wednesday's conditions, the Commuter Rail station was about a 30-minute walk from the Campus Center.

Outside the realm of cross-registration, the College's decision to keep classes in session raised a maelstrom of other concerns.  Students described conditions as unnavigable for morning classes, as roads had not yet been plowed.  Donna Yee '11, who fell down the stairs after her 8:30 class in the Science Center, said she wished the College had "cancel[led] morning class," at least until something had been done to improve walking conditions.

Compounding the issue was the decision of Health and Counseling Services to cease operation on Wednesday along with the College's transportation.  Students were notified via FirstClass at noon on Tuesday that their only options for medical care on Wednesday would be the College's on-call M.D. and emergency counseling line.

With the academic side of the College remaining silent on the issue, professors were left to decide on their own whether or not they wished to hold classes.  Professor Coleman of the chemistry department chose to cancel his CHEM 341 class after experiencing a "real adventure" upon his initial attempt to drive to campus.

"The situation [might have been] slightly different for classes that meet only once or twice a week.  If it had been my seminar I missed, then I would have tried to reschedule," Coleman said.  "[But,] come to the end of the semester I will have taught what I wanted to [in CHEM 341.]"

Last Wednesday's storm is not the first time the College has chosen to halt non-academic services during the semester, forcing faculty from the Boston area to cancel class if they cannot drive in, as the Exchange bus is not an option.  Eastment confirmed that the decision to take the Exchange Bus out of service for a "full day" has been made multiple times in recent years.  Despite this, classes have not been cancelled during the regular semester at Wellesley since 2007, Julia Wagner '11 recalls.

"There is no ‘typical' winter in New England, but this is a particularly snowy one, with the big problem being the lack of time between storms for thorough cleanup," said Coleman of this year's conditions.

Coleman affirmed that faculty "can cancel class if they feel it is unsafe for them to come in," and that the College does not place any pressure on faculty to make up for missed hours of class time.  This policy notwithstanding, Coleman expressed concern for the college's other employees, such as dining hall and library workers and janitorial staff, who might potentially "risk life and limb to come in" when they are not granted excusal.

"Putting [students' and Professors'] safety, but also the safety of those who maintain the campus, at risk is a major issue," he said.  "In my opinion, [the College] should have encouraged all employees on the ‘non-essential list' – that is, most everyone – to stay home [last Wednesday.]"

Cheryl Walker, Director of Wellesley Fresh Culinary Services, confirmed that a number of AVI fresh employees were housed at the College Club overnight from last Tuesday to Wednesday.  Had the decision to close the College and cancel classes been made, dining hall workers who had not received on-campus housing would not be required to come into work.

Ultimately, students were disappointed with the College's apparent complaisance.

"I don't want to take anything away from the people clearing campus, as I'm sure that they are working hard, but if it isn't possible to even keep steps clear, we should not be encouraged to go out and about," said Wagner, who experienced trouble with both the Science Center steps and the Munger staircase that day.

College Health Services confirmed that as of Monday evening, no students had visited the infirmary for snow-related injuries this semester.