Montclair State University closes on Tuesday as snow pads the entire campus.
Photo by Alex Clark
Montclair State University will reopen tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. after closing for the day on Tuesday. Classes starting 10 a.m. and after will be on a normal schedule, according to a campus alert sent by the university.
Kathleen Ragan, the Associate Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life, said hundred boxed meals and bottled waters were delivered to Sinatra Hall on Monday night in preparation for the storm. Around 4 p.m. on March 13, Montclair State issued an official announcement detailing the closure of the university on Tuesday, March 14 due to the impending storm. In northern New Jersey, weather forecasts have predicted snow accumulations of up to 24 inches.
“I was very surprised,” Sarah Washington, a junior family and child studies major, said of the university’s decision to close on Tuesday. “They usually don’t [close] unless it’s in the middle of a blizzard.”
Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency in New Jersey on Monday night. The weather conditions have been severe with heavy snowfall since Monday night and strong winds as well as freezing rain. This could lead to accumulating ice which could result in power outages.
This is the second time the university has closed during the academic school year after receiving backlash for not closing in 2015 when New Jersey was in a state of emergency. In regards to the university’s history of remaining open during inclement weather, Washington said she thought Montclair State couldn’t avoid the warnings for this week’s storm.
Captain Kieran Barrett of the Montclair State Police Department said they have had no reported accidents since the snow started on campus. Flurries have been accumulating since around 10 p.m. Monday night and have gotten more serious overnight.
In terms of how the conditions will affect the university tomorrow, Dr. Karen Pennington said it’s too early to make a definitive assessment of whether there will be any kind of delay on Wednesday. A decision will be made later today as the storm progresses.
The strong winds and freezing rain don’t make for the most favorable sledding or snowman building conditions but a few students bundled up to go to the student center quad to play football in the snow.
However most students are staying safe and warm inside during their snow day spending time with friends, catching up on homework or planning movie nights.
