During last week's "snowpocalypse," dozens of Penn State Commonwealth Campuses were closed in the interest of student safety.
However, despite the dangerous road conditions and icy sidewalks in State College, the University Park campus remained opened.
The decision not to cancel classes resulted in some student outrage, which ranged from angry posts on Penn State's Facebook fan page to the creation of Facebook events, including "WE ARE... Still Snowed in," which reached more than 2,500 members.
Though University Park is not considered a commuter campus, thousands of students live off campus because of limited university housing. While the borough declared a snow emergency in State College on Wednesday, students living off campus were forced to brave unshoveled sidewalks and slippery roads.
Nevermind the fact that classes were canceled at State College Area School District and the rest of the area schools. In addition to students, Penn State put its staff at risk by refusing to shut down the university. Professors and other personnel, who typically live farther away, had to deal with a dangerous commute to work.
To Penn State's credit, the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) does an excellent job clearing snow and laying salt on campus. However, the borough doesn't do as well when it comes to snow removal, resulting in dangerous traveling conditions for students. The university should have considered this when deciding whether to hold classes.
In the future, hopefully the administration will consider safety instead of being set on never canceling classes.
