It is a cold morning, and a layer of fresh snow dusts the ground. I have my seat warmer on high and windshield defroster working double time. Concluding my journey to school in less-than-ideal conditions, I go to make my final turn before securing an all-day parking spot. I turn my wheel and press the gas pedal, just like any other day. But it is not just another day. All of a sudden, the car is moving with a mind of its own. Evidently, hitting a patch of ice we are veering dangerously fast into the oncoming traffic lane. Channeling my inner F1 driver, I whip the wheel back and forth, trying to keep my two younger sisters and me on all four wheels. And just like that, in a split second, between death and life we sit untouched. Too stunned to speak, I silently pull us into the last all-day parking spot. “We shouldn’t have had school today,” my sister whispers. All nodding in agreement, we go to exit the metal death trap that almost became us, just moments before. Suddenly, I hear an exclamation from the back seat. Looking back, I see my youngest sister, Ugg boots, fully submerged in a snow drift. WT, wtf?

It comes as no surprise that our school does not want to exchange precious days of learning for impromptu snow delays and days off. How can smart meet heart if all the hearts are sledding in their backyards? While this is true, there is a line. Nearly meeting my end just to attend a day of school is not something any student should experience. Many WT students are new drivers, just learning how to navigate in the poor conditions that snow brings. Trusting that they can get themselves to school safely is an ignorant assumption. Additionally, without a designated parking lot or spots, students are left to fend for themselves in the jungle that is Shadyside parking. With approximately 10 spots available for all day, not one of them gets shuveled before 8:15. This not only makes for some dangerous parallel parking, but also for the ruining of less than water-compatible shoes that are all the craze this winter.

So what am I asking? I am asking for snow delays and cancellations to be necessary procedures, not last-minute concessions. We deserve safety, we deserve an unexpected break, and most of all, we deserve to indulge in the winter wonder that seems to be lost on the school’s current administration. Dr. Fech, don’t ice us out.