Those of us who braved the conditions of campus on Tuesday between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. were not looking forward to doing it again on Thursday. Classes were canceled before 11 a.m. again. The question remained, however, what the administration believed would happen between the early morning hours and when classes were scheduled to begin.

Perhaps we would have a miracle heat wave that would suddenly make side streets and sidewalks passable — the National Weather Service didn’t seem to think so. The conditions of areas not directly on campus were not going to change for the entire day on Thursday. Why cancel classes for the morning and not the rest of the day?

Road crews had the main roads clear; but what about those of us who live on back roads that are still covered with ice, snow and tree limbs? Were those going to be cleared by 11 a.m.? I don’t think so.

If it is unsafe for students to report to their 8 a.m. classes, it is going to be just as unsafe for those of us coming at 11 a.m. Gov. Beshear stated that, “The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the lives and safety of its people.” Shouldn’t UK, with all its recent talk about campus safety, take the same stance?

If even one person was injured due to unsafe conditions trying to go to class on Thursday, the decision to not cancel classes through the entire day was a bad one.

As a student, I want to get my money’s worth out of the semester, but not if I’m going to be in any danger trying to get there. Even if the sidewalks were clear this time and I didn’t fall down again trying to get to class, it doesn’t mean that where I live in Lexington is safe.

If the administration thought it was unsafe in the early morning hours, why was it magically going to be safe at 11 a.m.? It wouldn’t be, and I wasn’t the only student worried about their safety trying to get to class on Thursday.

Victoria Trout

english senior