Snow days: a distant memory

Graphic by Kylee Weber

Waking up early in the morning to the bright light coming through your window and the chill breeze upon the floor only to get a message to say school is canceled; that was the dream. In the past, we would crawl back into our warm bed and go back to sleep. However, due to the availability and comfortability professors now have with online learning, snow days are no longer.

Professors now hold the power to cancel class when campus is closed. Many professors have become comfortable with online learning due to the abrupt transition Ottawa University went through last year due to COVID-19. Classes are now able to transition into online learning, that way students and faculty can stay safe and learn from the comfort of their own home.

Three years ago, if someone was to mention that students still have class on snow days, we would laugh because it was merely impossible to do so. However, the programs that Ottawa University provides to students and faculty allows this to be at the tip of your finger. Many classes use Blackboard Collaborate or Zoom. Some professors allow their students to learn via PowerPoint or reading out of a textbook for their “online class period.”  

All students have participated in online or virtual learning, allowing them to become comfortable with the idea that they do not have to be in a classroom to learn. Professors have had to adapt their lesson plans to accommodate online learning. The school takes all necessary precautions to keep campus open for students. However, due to this brutal winter Kansas has received, campus has been closed for several days. 

The time when we had no responsibilities for the day is long gone. Distance or virtual learning is a way of the future. Students will no longer have the option of crawling back into bed with no responsibilities. Instead, students will now laugh at the term “Snow Day,” as it is merely a memory.