“It’s not going to be that much,” they said. “Only rain,” another said.

Early Wednesday, March 7 students woke up to find a Rowan alert calling all classes cancelled due to the Nor’easter. Although in Glassboro there was just a covering and it was raining at that time, roads were flooding and it was clear there was a lot of slush.

As the day progressed, around 12:15 p.m. snow started pelting down all throughout Gloucester and Camden counties. Local news stations warned of “snow thunderstorms.” Route 55, 42 and I-76 were at near standstills as individuals struggled to get from one point to another. Dozens of cars sat at the edges of the highway, their flashers on as people called for help.

Around 3 p.m., one car blocked the roadway on the 50A exit off of Route 55 headed on to Route 322 east. Community members stuck behind this individual got out and helped push the car for more than 20 minutes before the car got out of the snow. Meanwhile, roughly 14 cars sat behind this car, waiting to merge on to 322.

Power is flickering throughout the Philadelphia region and Glassboro.

So, yes, while that midterm that’s been moved to after spring break is frustrating, our safety today is and was much more important.

In the past, Rowan has had a tendency to not cancel class when a delay or closure has probably been warranted. Students often received emails urging us to “use our discretion,” noting that we should make arrangements with our professors to make up the missed work.

But is that absence then excused? Even if it is, some professors have a certain number of absences, excused or unexcused, that a student cannot go over before a dropped letter grade. That leaves students, especially commuters, at a loss over what the might be the right decision. Risk one’s safety to truck to campus, or stay at home, miss a class and have one’s grade possibly suffer due to the absence?

So thanks, Rowan. You for sure made the right choice today. Instead of having students make tough choices, you did the right thing. By canceling class, you probably saved lives, literally. There are much worse things in life than a missed school day.

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