On Jan. 22. The University of Central Missouri canceled classes across both Warrensburg and Lee’s Summit campuses due to inclement weather conditions. The Johnson County Emergency Management Agency issued an alert advising residents to avoid traveling if possible. Then at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22, JCEMA reported road conditions were worsening and there had been “an increase in accidents and slide-offs”.
At the time of press, this is the second time classes have been canceled for the Spring 2024 semester, due to inclement weather and cold temperatures. The impact of the winter weather on students and their learning experiences has varied among students living both on and off campus.
Some students noticed that classes were were altered in the classroom and some adjusted to be online on the days with less-than-ideal weather conditions. “The classes I feel like have been smaller because no one wants to walk across campus in the cold. So, like a lot of people just haven’t been coming,” Ashley Mudd, junior, said.
Adding to this, the recent winter weather has made going to class more challenging for those who commute to UCM. “I have a love-hate relationship with it. It’s not fun driving in the morning, especially when everything’s frozen over,” Junior, Henry Kartsonis, said.
Students living on-campus also experienced safety concerns when driving in Warrensburg. “I feel like the worst part about that is driving on the roads because I feel like sometimes the plows don’t get everything, so it’s just like roads are covered and then I need to go get groceries so I could eat, so that’s I feel like the least safe part,” Mudd said.
For some students, the recent winter weather conditions have been entirely new experiences. Putri Ab Llah, an international student from Malaysia, has never experienced snow before. Llah advises other international students to, “invest in good winter care and take the time to enjoy the unique experiences. Embrace the cold with the right preparations. It’s quite different from Malaysia’s climate obviously, cause we don’t have winter.”
Living on campus and only having been in the United States for five months, Llah has had a unique experience adjusting to the weather. “I would say my favorite part is witnessing the beauty of snowfall which is a very rare site in Malaysia. It’s like it adds a magical touch for me to the environment.”
Despite the harsh conditions, students are finding ways to make the most of the cold weather. “When it snows I like to go outside when it’s snowing, like wet snow. I like to go outside with my friends. We’ll just play around and make snow angels, ’cause we’re like five years old,” Kartsonis said. Along with highlighting the enjoyable aspects of this weather, students urge caution for the challenges it brings.
