Rare for Bellingham but always-exciting, we received several inches of snow the week of February 5th-11th, resulting in the closure of the university on Monday the 6th.
The university reopened for Tuesday the 6th despite Bellingham Technical College, Whatcom Community College, and the Bellingham School District remaining closed. Campus conditions were far from ideal, with un-cleared walkways and an excess of salt and sand that didn’t add much traction to the bricks that compose our campus. The university was opened for the majority of Wednesday, before closing at 5pm and remaining closed for Thursday, and reopening Friday when rain and warmer weather had cleared most of the snow.
Students took to social media to point out the hypocrisy of the university closing on Monday yet reopening for Tuesday and most of Wednesday, when there were similar amounts of snow on all days. Students advocated for those with disabilities, stating the university was inaccessible to certain students during that time, as walkways were not cleared, making it difficult for students, faculty, and staff to move through campus. Students have even gone so far as to create a petition demanding for the university to change its policies regarding weather and school closures, to ensure the university remains accessible to all, at all times