It’s a well-known fact that classes are rarely canceled at University Park — the last time this campus saw a snow day was February 2007. But, on the heels of cancellations and advisories at other campuses throughout the state in anticipation of dangers related to Hurricane Sandy, officials announced Monday that classes at University Park were called off from 1:10 p.m. on.As of press time, it’s unclear what’s in store for University Park on Tuesday when it comes to a normal class schedule. Still, the cancellation on Monday should send a clear message that this storm is meant to be taken seriously.
It’s not surprising that the student body is celebrating. But, aside from updating your Facebook status or posting a tweet, the celebrations should be kept to the safe confines of your apartment, dorm or house.
As the weather outside gets more intense, we need to heed the warnings of our meteorologists and other officials. As much as it’s easy to laugh at “#Frankenstorm” references on Twitter or joke about the impending apocalypse, it shouldn’t come at the expense of taking the weather advisories and other notices seriously. Safety is of the utmost importance.
Hurricane Sandy may bring “unprecedented” flooding and power outages, according to Governor Tom Corbett. Corbett has put 1,600 National Guard troops on standby, as well as asking the Federal Government for disaster assistance.
Students need to proceed with caution and encourage their peers to do so, as well.
Just because there’s no class, that doesn’t mean it’s worth risking endangering yourself by going outside or by excessively celebrating the time off. We all know alcohol lowers your cognitive ability and clouds your decision-making skills, putting you at an even greater risk of being harmed at a time when it’s important for you to be fully alert.
Venturing outside also puts you at risk of getting hit by branches or other falling objects from the many trees that line the town.
The medical teams of State College need all hands on deck for dealing with the possible fallout of this severe weather.
They need to be focused on those who need it — those affected by potential power outages, floods and destruction of homes. As a student body, we should remain calm, cool and collected — sheltered from the storm. Everyone should be keeping safety as their No. 1 concern over the next few days.
