Juan Monroy

I was all set to lecture this morning on the telegraph for my Introduction to New Media class, a topic that Communication and Media Studies students study a lot, but then we got another storm today. If I’m counting correctly, that makes this the fourth winter storm this year.

By the way, if you ever noticed that New York City has almost no overhead utility lines, it’s because they caused havoc during the Blizzard of 1888.

This storm is a different than the previous two as it brings with it wintry mix. As lovely as it sounds, wintry mix should be renamed winty misery. You’re going to get wet, the streets are essentially covered in slush, and as soon as the slush hits the ground, it freezes to create ice. And ice makes travel a dangerous enterprise.

Consequently, my morning class at Fordham University, Lincoln Center was cancelled. As my only scheduled commitment today, I’m turning it into a GTD day.

But what about my other colleges?

1. Queens College is defying the weather gods and is open all day.
2. Pratt opened late, at noon, allowing the sanitation department to clear the roads.
3. NYU opened late at 11:00 AM to similarly let things clear up.

I don’t understand what factors schools consider when closing due to a storm, as there seems to be little consistency, but apparently New York City public schools consider snow accumulation, temperature and windchill.