The first Nor’easter of the winter season has come and gone, bringing joy and wet shoes to the student body. I am not a huge fan of the cold, but can still appreciate the alabaster aesthetic snow brings. Unfortunately, our winter wonderland was short-lived, and we must now suffer through endless piles of brown and black slush as a result of the university’s complete incompetence in snow removal techniques.
The state of Connecticut is near-notorious with regard to its snow removal inefficiency, but the plows were able to do a respectable job clearing I-95 and the Merritt Parkway. If two major highways can be cleared, why is plowing a school’s road system such a hassle?
I know, I know-maintenance ran out of salt. A salt shortage still doesn’t explain why there was nary a school employee seen with a shovel on Sunday, and the trucks with plows attached that were spotted were driving with the plows up. Perhaps the school did not want to pay its employees overtime; courting the possibility of a lawsuit after someone falls on the ice and breaks a femur is far more economical.
My roommate’s professor chided her class, claiming that the walkways were not nearly as bad as the students were making them sound. This is true of the walkways surrounding the academic buildings, but the village complex may as well be in Tibet for all the attention that has been paid to its stairs and paths. As of Monday, the outdoor staircase next to the apartments was a finely packed slope of ice. Ditto for the walkway leading to the parking lot across from the Quick Center.
It took me a full five minutes to make it from the back door of the apartment building to the edge of the parking lot Monday night, as I was doing my best Michelle Kwan imitation and trying not to fall flat on my derriere. A triple axel and double lutz later, I was safe…until I had to venture out this morning and repeat the process again.
The parking lots are still a mess. During the day, everything melts into a giant, unavoidable slush puddle.
As soon as the sun sets, mini ice-skating rinks pop up, mocking the student body. I am still left with just one question: why?
Maybe I am too demanding, but I really don’t think it is too much to ask that the walkways leading to and from the building in which I live be cleared of snow and ice . It’s bad enough my windows are still bolted shut; now, I can’t even leave the building without risking a fall or ruining my aforementioned great boots.
There is no excuse for unsafe walkways. We are the most precious commodity the university has, and to act with such indifference to our well-being and comfort is disrespectful. Where’s the Plow King when you need him?
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