Courses canceled, snowstorm continues

After the weather conditions on campus worsened yesterday afternoon, the University canceled all evening classes, closed all libraries as of 6 p.m., and shut down its shuttle service, TigerTransit, as of 4:30 p.m.

Normal operations will resume Thursday at 5 a.m., according to a statement issued through email and text to the University community. The University also included the information in their social media postings.

“University crews are working to clear roads and walkways, but conditions are difficult,” the message noted. “Be careful when walking on campus due to heavy snow on branches and wires.”

Branches and even entire trees toppled under the weight of heavy, wet snow. Campus Club saw large trees ripped up by the roots in its front yard. According eyewitnesses, multiple cars on Washington Street were backlogged in snow at about 4:30 p.m.

“I was walking from [Frist Campus Center] and a branch straight up fell from a tree,” Taylor Mills ’20 said. “It hit me on my backpack and pulled me down.”

The University asked Mills if she was “OK” in a response to her Tweet about the event.

“I think that classes should have been cancelled to begin with,“ said Soraya Morales Nuñez ’18. “To be honest, I was a little freaked out when I walked out of Firestone for my lunch break and I saw branches all over the ground. I had never seen that at Princeton before.”

Morales Nuñez also said that she saw thunder and lighting.

Ally Kim ’21, whose evening writing seminar WRI 124: Property, Wealth, and Equality was canceled, said that she was happy the University made the decision to cancel courses but wished it had reached the decision earlier.

Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

“It might have caused some inconvenience,” Kim said.

Kim’s professor Steven Kelts, who lives in New York City, was already on campus when the University released the cancellation message at 5:45 p.m.

“It would have been great to have heard earlier in the day, because if we were teaching at night we were probably already on campus,” said Kelts. “But if this is what’s safe for the students and best for the University, then I’m fine with it.”

“The professor sent us an email saying that the University had cancelled all evening classes,” said Kim. “He said he would be back in touch to reschedule.”

“I’m going to have to change what we do in classes next week during midterm week, but we’ll make it work,” Kelts added.

“My preceptor had to drive back to Philadelphia,” explained Mills, referring to her course AAS 235: Race Is Socially Constructed — Now What? The precept ended at 3:30 p.m.

Additionally, witnesses said that police had to help people off the Dinky train due to the snow’s effect.

Other students felt that they were unaffected by the announcement.

“Two of my precepts were canceled, but I’m not really worried,” Jad Bechara ’20 said.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued a state of emergency in New Jersey effective at 8 p.m. This is the first time that Murphy has issued a state of emergency during his governorship.