By Gionna Bean, Opinion Editor
Getting stuck in snow on campus can be tough, especially when there are not people around to help. Whether a car can not make it out of a parking space due to snow and ice or will not start due to extreme cold, Campus Safety can help.
Snow buildup in Saint Rose of Lima lot – Photo by Gionna Bean
One student easily received two officers’ help clearing off her car. “They were walking by and asked me and my friend if we needed help removing the snow,” freshman Ava Idalski said. The officers were quick to help, and Idalski added that she has stopped by Campus Safety on numerous occasions to get her tires filled up for free.
Idalski had a positive interaction with Campus Safety, but this is not how it goes for every student. Junior Emilie Poirier got stuck behind a wall of snow after plows came through the parking lot.
“My freshman year my car got snowed into the St. Joe’s lot from the plows pushing snow in front of it,” Poirier said, “and they just told me tough luck and I missed work because I couldn’t get out of the parking lot. I couldn’t believe it.”
Though situations like this can be frustrating for students, it is important to note that Campus Safety is not, according to aquinas.edu, required to shovel out individual cars. Students have mixed feelings about this state of affairs, questioning whether getting cars out of the snow should be one of the department’s concerns.
Large amount of snow prevents car from moving- Photo by Gionna Bean
“I could see why students need them, especially since most people probably don’t have shovels in their dorms,” sophomore Anna O’Neill said.
The only problem is that officers may not be available to help every stuck car, especially if, which is often the case, multiple students need help with their cars at once. Heavy snow can block entire parking lots, and Campus Safety is not equipped to get every car out.
The department does suggest, however, on aquinas.edu that every student keep a container of salt in their car in case they ever run into an issue. It is better that each student be prepared to get themselves out of a snow patch than to wait for help that may not be available.
The Saint 