The Weird and The Wacky Meet

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Snowed In:  What Makes A Snow Day?

According to Metro Weather and Traffic, over ten inches of snow blanketed Bridgeport on Wednesday, January 28, resulting in the closing of all local public schools and many colleges, while classes at Housatonic Community College continued as normal, aside from a two hour delay.

                 Yet, who decides when HCC gets a snow day?  “A snow day, in terms of classes canceled, that's my authority,” says Academic Dean Anita Gliniecki.  “I can cancel, delay classes.  It's only the governor who can close campus down, or any campus down.  That's a real distinction that a lot of people don't understand.”

                 Some students, like Michele Wresilo, have complained that it’s difficult to juggle child care when elementary and high schools close down and HCC doesn’t. 

Wresilo said, “There should be more consideration when every town is having delays or closings.”

                 Gliniecki disagrees, saying that the, “Bridgeport school system has to have an environment that is safe for a five or six year old going to kindergarten, walking to a bus-stop or walking to school.  We're dealing with adults here.”

                 Gliniecki goes onto add that, “Anyone who has children in the elementary schools needs to realize that they will close much, much sooner and more often than the community college, so they have to have alternative arrangements for those days.”

                 As for the criteria for what makes a snow day, Gliniecki says, “What we're looking at is:  Can people safely get to the campus and get in and out of the buildings?”  If there is inclement weather, she consults with the maintenance staff and tries to arrive as early as possible to see the situation for herself.

                 When asked why Norwalk Community College and Bridgeport University canceled classes, Gliniecki replied, “The roads were clear.  We were able to get into the buildings.  Maintenance crew had everything spotless.  I got here a quarter to eight, and we were clean, we were ready to go.  It was sloppy, messy for driving but that was all that it was.”

                 Still, not all students can make it safely into school.  Aide Lorduy, a sophomore at HCC, comes into Bridgeport from the valley. “Sliding down a hill with at least seven inches of snow is an issue,” she says.

                 Lorduy, also a mother, watches the Weather channel religiously so she can make alternate arrangements for her children if the need arises. 

“Predictability is key,” she says.

                 Not everyone has the ability to make other childcare arrangements so quickly. 

Marci Basso, a student, says, “If my son’s school is canceled, mine is canceled.  If he stays home, I stay home.”

                 Brent Dreher takes the train into HCC from Seymour during inclement weather.  It takes him a half hour to walk to the train station.  He noted that he has to deal with delays on the train and a revised holiday schedule, because Metro North is unpredictable during a snow or ice storm. 

“The system sucks…” said Dreher.

                 Gliniecki is not completely unsympathetic to changing the inclement weather policy, saying, “[students and faculty] could indicate that they'd like [HCC] closed more, but as a generalization, if we're able to be open, we will be open.  Class time is so precious.”

                 To find out if HCC will be closed during inclement weather, students can go to http://www.housatonic.edu/emergency/index.html.  They can call (203) 332-5200, and then press three when the message comes up.  Gliniecki also sends school closing information to these radio stations: WEBE, WICC, WELI, and Star 99.  Finally, television channels 8, 3, and 30, broadcast HCC closing information.

Copyright 2004

Not Original Picture

By Amanda Evans

Date: 03/04/04