Sandy impacts academic calendar, campus

Post-tropical cyclone Sandy struck the city of Baltimore with 60 mph winds and torrential rain this past weekend. The University cancelled all classes on Monday, Oct. 29 and Tuesday, Oct. 30 due to potential safety hazards caused by the extreme weather.

“All of the facilities, people, and security worked tirelessly before and throughout the storm preparing ahead of time and responding as the storm occurred. The University made the decision to close on Monday and Tuesday to protect the well-being of members of the community. As you are aware this was a tremendous storm with much potential danger. It was in everybody’s best interest to be out and about as little as possible,” Dean of Student Life Susan Boswell wrote in an email to The News-Letter.

No injuries were sustained during the storm, and the Homewood campus never lost power. Wind damage was manifested in a few downed trees on campus but no further devastation.

The University prepared thoroughly for the storm. In the event that the University or surrounding off-campus housing locations lost power, Levering Hall was to serve as the center for post-storm student services.

In the event that power outages persisted, the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center offered showers, shelter and a limited number of cots for students not in University housing who need refuge from their current residence.

Throughout the storm, the University strove to maintain all amenities for students. Dining remained open with limited hours.

“The dining center will be open until the storm gets to a point that it’s unsafe to be outside. Levering will certainly be closed. The Fresh Food Cafe and Nolan’s will be open until it’s otherwise unsafe,” Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs Dennis O’Shea said on Monday, before the worst of the storm hit. “Services that are essential, including food services, will go on as long as possible.

In the wake of the storm’s setbacks, the University now must deal with the repercussions of the cancellations on the academic calendar.

“We are still exploring how best to make-up missed classes,” Dean of Academic Services Joshua McIntosh wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “There will likely be shared standards established with the WSE and the KSAS and then we will also provide faculty with the flexibility of determining how best to make-up their missed classes within these shared standards.”