By Ashley Ioveno
Staff Writer
The 2014 spring semester was supposed to start on Jan. 21, but instead, a 10:30 a.m. message was sent out to students, faculty and others on campus, informing them that classes were cancelled after 3:30 p.m., and LIU Post would close for the remainder of the day. All classes were subsequently cancelled for Jan. 22, as the snow continued to build early Wednesday.
This is not the first time that classes have been cancelled in the beginning of the spring semester due to terrible weather, according to Kenneth Mensing, LIU Post historian. With the campus closed, some students had difficulties registering for their spring classes. “I’ve been waiting for paper work to go through all break so I could register for my classes. It finally goes through and the school closes. Now I am basically just sitting around waiting [until] I can sign up, ” said James Bliss, a sophomore Criminal Justice major.
However, the enrollment deadline was extended. “The snow storm certainly threw a wrench into the start of the semester. Though students were still able to utilize self-service enrollment and register on line, I’m sure the snowstorm and associated campus closure did impact some students who wanted to process enrollment transactions,” said Beth Wilkow, LIU Post’s registrar. “As a result, the usual two-week drop/add period has been extended by two days; students will be able to make changes to their schedule through Feb. 5. LIU leadership wanted to make sure that students were given ample time to enroll or make changes to their Spring ‘14 schedule,” she added.
The storm left many students stranded on campus on the first day of the semester with nothing to do. The Pratt Recreation Center, Hillwood, and even the Library were closed. The shuttle bus, which transports students from the campus to the Hicksville train station and several stops in between, did not operate on its normal schedule. Some dormers were confined to their rooms. “I have no roommate, no homework, and nothing to do. After staring at the ceiling for two days, I am ready for classes to start. I can’t even go outside because it is too slippery to walk around,” said Danielle Mazer, a junior Criminal Justice major, who was stuck on campus all through the closure.
Simone Costa, a sophomore English major who commutes, had difficulty getting to campus. She had a rather unlucky circumstance while trying to get back to campus on Tuesday morning from her home in Florida. “I had a 10 a.m. flight on Tuesday morning that was supposed to arrive at [John F. Kennedy Airport] JFK. That morning, I learned that the storm had caused all flights going to New York to be cancelled, including mine. Now instead of being on campus, I am stuck in Florida until I can get a flight, which may not even be until Thursday night. Thank goodness classes where cancelled, or I would have missed two days of school! ”
April 30 and May 1 have been alloted for snowdays, so the semester will not be extended, according to Concetta DiMare, academic scheduler.
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