Loyola University Chicago: What is administration smoking?

Before I enter my first of many Loyola related rants, let me give you my LUC credentials...

I've been a student at Loyola University Chicago since Fall 2001. I earned my BS in Computer Science in May 2006, and am now working on my MS in Computer Science. I am also a TA and heavily involved with my department's research lab. By the time I graduate with my MS, I will most likely have earned tenure.

For all practical purposes, I've been at Loyola just as long as, if not longer, than many faculty members... including Fr. Garanzini, our fearless president.

Therefore, I am allowed to be highly critical concerning virtually anything on campus.

Anyways, back to my gripe... Here is a snippet from the NOAA Winter Storm Warning issued on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007:

LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF
SNOW IS POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN WILL AND WESTERN DUPAGE
COUNTIES...TO AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 INCHES OF NEW SNOW
ACCUMULATION ACROSS EASTERN COOK COUNTY. STORM TOTAL
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS BY LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING OF 8 TO
12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BANDS WILL PRODUCE MODERATE TO HEAVY
SNOW OVER SMALL AREAS THROUGH THE NIGHT. SNOWFALL RATES UP
TO 1 INCH PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIEST BANDS.

IN ADDITION TO THE NEW SNOW...NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH
WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED TONIGHT. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...LEAVE
PLENTY OF EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...
SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR
IMPOSSIBLE. STAY INDOORS AND AVOID TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE.

The latest reported snowfall totals, from weather.gov/chicago for Feb 13 are:

.LOCATION...    .COUNTY...   .SNOW AMT...  .TIME OF OB...

CHICAGO-NW SIDE  COOK           9.5"        7:00 PM
MIDWAY 3SW       COOK           8.3"        9:00 PM
CHICAGO OHARE    COOK           6.2"        6:00 PM

Personally, I can state that the driving conditions today have been nothing less than total crap. This was not a good day to be on the road... the roads are slushy at best to totally unsafe at worst due to the snow and blowing drifts. Hell, our shuttle system completely shut down at 6:30 PM due to the unsafe road conditions as well as the partial shutdown of Lake Shore Drive.

So, what I can't understand is why the university didn't do the smart and safe thing and cancel classes on Feb. 13 and/or Feb 14. From a press release from the university webpage:

Loyola University continues to be open for classes in spite of the weather. Please plan for extra time when traveling to and from class.

WTF are they smoking? Travel conditions are total hazardous crap. Furthermore, many commuter students skipped classes today because they value their lives (plus, in case of an untimely commuting-to-class death, their next of kin can't afford to pay the Loyola tuition).

From what I understand, other major universities near Loyola (read: Northwestern, Depaul...) as well as Chicago Public Schools. So why not Loyola? Why is it that Loyola students must risk life and limb to go to class when every other reality based school closes for weather related safety reasons?

Oh, it must be because of our bold tradition of being ass backwards when it comes to closures. After all, we were open for business on 9/11 (except Water Tower Campus, which was shut down because the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT demanded that the area near the Handcock building be shutdown as a precaution). We were also open for finals that one winter when we had a effin' foot of snow fall the night before finals began.

What the hell is it going to take before administration does the right thing and think of the safety of all students?