Hazardous Ice
Joe McElroy
Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: News
Obviously, we are all aware of the rapid weather changes that can occur - almost on a daily basis - on campus. One day it can be 60 degrees outside, pleasantly warm with the sun in the sky and hardly any clouds to blot it out. Then the following day, bone-chilling winds cut through even the thickest of jackets along with falling rain, sleet, snow, or a mixture of all the above.
However, it is not the speed of the weather changing so quickly that's a danger, it is more about what sticks around after those rapid changes. Ice storms are especially common in Frostburg, often following right after a night's worth of snowfall. As long as people do not have to leave the house, clean off the car, or any remove any sort of ice, the ice that coats over everything can actually be pretty. Yet, with that distracting beauty, every step on an icy sidewalk or car driving on an unplowed street can cause some of the worst injuries during the winter months.
One specific area around campus that is a real danger when icy conditions bare down on Frostburg are the paths leading up to the Guild Center along the upper quad. The down-slope of the path plus any ice can easily off-set someone's pace to class.
Ben Erzkus, a senior, has fallen along this path as have others on their way to class. "Really, the school does a good job cleaning up the sidewalks around the buildings. However, if we're going to have school, they need to make sure the pathways are walkable by putting down enough salt and having the snow removed. It's especially dangerous for people with disabilities if the sidewalks are left a mess," says Erzkus.
Indeed, the school does look out for all of its students and the workers involved do a very good job. Yet some areas such as the sidewalk along the parking lot to Guild Center, the slope leading to the road away from the library, and the sidewalk along Annapolis Hall, are almost always left with ice or snow for the sun to melt rather than deal with it. It might be because these paths are less used, but for anyone that has to use them, this makes it very dangerous to walk on.
However, it is not the speed of the weather changing so quickly that's a danger, it is more about what sticks around after those rapid changes. Ice storms are especially common in Frostburg, often following right after a night's worth of snowfall. As long as people do not have to leave the house, clean off the car, or any remove any sort of ice, the ice that coats over everything can actually be pretty. Yet, with that distracting beauty, every step on an icy sidewalk or car driving on an unplowed street can cause some of the worst injuries during the winter months.
One specific area around campus that is a real danger when icy conditions bare down on Frostburg are the paths leading up to the Guild Center along the upper quad. The down-slope of the path plus any ice can easily off-set someone's pace to class.
Ben Erzkus, a senior, has fallen along this path as have others on their way to class. "Really, the school does a good job cleaning up the sidewalks around the buildings. However, if we're going to have school, they need to make sure the pathways are walkable by putting down enough salt and having the snow removed. It's especially dangerous for people with disabilities if the sidewalks are left a mess," says Erzkus.
Indeed, the school does look out for all of its students and the workers involved do a very good job. Yet some areas such as the sidewalk along the parking lot to Guild Center, the slope leading to the road away from the library, and the sidewalk along Annapolis Hall, are almost always left with ice or snow for the sun to melt rather than deal with it. It might be because these paths are less used, but for anyone that has to use them, this makes it very dangerous to walk on.
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