Surviving the Snowpocalypse of 2014

EAST PEORIA — Central Illinois over the past couple of months has been bombarded with a particularly vicious winter.

This semester already, Illinois Central College has had to close its doors five times and delayed classes twice as well.

With record low temperatures and heavy snows, ICC, along with many other schools, have had no choice but to cancel classes.

According to Cheryl Fliege, they look at five factors: whether they can clear the campus, the severity of weather conditions, Illinois Department of Transportation’s road conditions, what is happening with the public schools and how much students would miss on a particular day.

Fliege said, “We go through all that and then Dr. Erwin and Bruce Budde will make the call.”

Many students clutch their phones in the wee hours of the morning, hoping for an alert from ICC when the weather takes a turn for the worst.

When hope is lost, and there seems to be no other option than to bundle up and head to class, some students debate whether or not it’s worth it.

One editor, Alexander Pabon, has his own thoughts on what could possibly be done to survive not only the snowpocalypse of 2014, but the future ones that will inevitability transpire.

By ALEXANDER PABON for the Harbinger

In the past few weeks, Central Illinois has been hit with freezing temperatures and bouts of heavy snow. What this means for the students is complete and utter torture.

Here’s the deal ICC. We all know that the weather in Central Illinois is about as stable as a certain Toronto Mayor, but that’s to be expected. We aren’t Florida or California with their ideal climate, but that’s perfectly okay. Some people love to torture themselves.

First is the distance. If you’re not the early bird on campus then you have to walk the distance between heaven and earth just to get to the front door of the school. This is unacceptable. College students should not have to walk to get to their classes! We live in the twenty first century where technology allows us to do great things. In all seriousness, with a -7 degree wind chill, the difference between getting very sick and staying warm and safe could be just a few meters.

Why not have a shuttle system where small go-karts could shuttle students from the parking lot to the school? This would allow students to stay out of the cold weather. Better yet, in the near future we could make an underground tunnel stretching from the CougarPlex all the way to every corner of the campus. It would be like Disney World!

Second, there is the issue of weather. ICC students should not have to walk through a torrential blizzard while their UGGS are getting wet. Not only that, but the weather is getting colder every single day. Students will have to spend five minutes in the freezing cold tundra that is East Peoria walking from their vehicles all the way to their classes. Students will catch colds! Students will get sick! Grades will drop! Anarchy ensues!

However, this is not a fate that we need to face. We can change this! The easiest fix is to have a big, heated tunnel that would protect us from the claws of Mother Nature. Imagine it being a big blow up bouncy house that would shelter all of us precious students from harm. No more snow. No more cold.

In a more practical solution, ICC could invest in heated lamps that could be placed on the walkways from the parking lot all the way up until the bridge. This would help keep students from having to feel the harshest parts of the cold, and could also keep the ground ice free and safe for those students who have difficulty with walking on ice.

Although most students think the old adage of “suck it up” is the proper solution to our Antarctic problem, these are some real and thoughtful ideas that could allow students to safely survive unfortunate weather mishaps.

Unfortunately, the likeliness that the college will sit down and consider heat lamps or an underground tunnel for three months of the year is pretty low. However, here are some personal solutions that could help students get through the rest of the Snowpocalypse of 2014.

Make sure to wear a coat! A coat is the first line of defense against the wind and will help keep the cold from creeping in. Wear thick gloves! Texting can wait until inside the building, and it’s far more important to keep your digits from falling off. Try out a scarf and hat. They may not be the most fashionable solution, but a hat and scarf helps cover up your head, where most heat is lost from your body.

Overall, fellow students, it is far more important to sit, talk and complain. Only together, in our communal bitterness, will Mother Nature actually listen. Or maybe that’s just me.