Don’t shoot the messenger, or emailer, of snow day decisions
With one notable exception, Elon University has made the right decision when it came to closing school for weather over the last couple of weeks. But students have harshly misdirected their bellyaching about these decisions toward Smith Jackson.
Please, lay off. It’s not his fault.
Jackson, vice president for student life, is a single cog in a complicated mechanism that has the power to declare a snow day. That power is great. But it is also distributed among individuals at the top tier of Elon’s administration.
While the majority of students and faculty members are still tucked into bed with spoons under their pillows, it’s not uncommon for University Provost Steven House to hop in his car and test out the streets leading to Elon. At the same time, Physical Plant workers fight through the night against the plague of snow, sleet and ice sent down upon the people of Elon by The Big Phoenix in the Sky.
Gerald Whittington, senior vice president for business, finance and technology also weighs in on the decision.
Together, Jackson, House, Whittington and Physical Plant make up a Fantastic Four. But, like the rest of us, they’re not perfect.
With great power comes great responsibility. When sidewalks are a mess and streets have yet to be plowed, staying open for business is a big mistake.
The decision for Elon to remain open Feb. 24 was a smear on the record of the Fantastic Four. As a wintry mix pelted down throughout the morning, Elon administrators made the decision to stay open. This led to at least one hospitalization and reports of other minor injuries. It also prompted an outcry from students that leapt out of social media feeds and into the classrooms of disgruntled professors and students.
To be fair, the snow last week caught much of the state by surprise. The wintery weather didn’t even make the weather for the evening news the night before. But university officials should have adapted and closed campus early in the morning.
That being said, Jackson deserves neither your finger-wagging nor your admonition. Sure, he sent out the email notifying you that the day would continue as usual despite the North Carolina tundra surrounding campus. But he didn’t cause the snow, and he certainly didn’t make the final call. So cut him a break.
Don’t shoot the messenger. The decision to cancel school is not an easy one. Safety remains a large concern, as does adhering to the academic calendar.