Winter
      Closures,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Who
      Do
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      is
      8:00
      in
      the
      morning,
     
     
      and
      as
      you
      wake
      up
      and
      check
     
     
      out
      the
      window
      you
      see
      white.
     
     
      You
      see
      the
      kind
      of
      white
      that
     
     
      makes
      you
      think
      that
      school
      may
     
     
      be
      closed,
      with
      a
      quick
      rush
      to
     
     
      the
      radio
      and
      bolstered
      by
      the
     
     
      closure
      announcements
      of
      every-
     
     
      thing
      from
      Stone
      Park
      Choir
     
     
      practice
      to
      the
      Eastern
      School
     
     
      board
      you
      discover
      UPEI
      is
      still
     
     
      open.
      This,
      unfortunately,
      has
     
     
      happened
      several
      times
      this
      win-
     
     
      ter
      and
      many
      people
      want
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      Yell
      At?"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      his
      decision.
     
    

    
     
      A
      wake
      up
      4:30am
      on
      the
     
     
      day
      of
      a
      possible
      storm
      is
      fol-
     
     
      lowed
      by
      a
      number
      of
      calls
      made
     
     
      to
      find
      out
      just
      how
      bad
      it
      is
      out
     
     
      there.
      Those
      calls
      include
      the
     
     
      Department
      of
      Highways,
      a
     
     
      counterpart
      at
      Holland
      College,
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      campus
      security.
      Diane
     
     
      informed
      me
      that
      sometimes
      a
     
     
      request
      is
      made
      of
      the
      security
     
     
      staff
      to
      drive
      around
      and
      see
     
     
      what
      conditions
      are
      like.
      In
      addi-
     
     
      tion,
      Mr.
      Bradshaw
      looks
      at
     
     
      weather
      reports
      and
      any
      RCMP
     
    

    
     
      warnings,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      know
      who
      to
     
     
      yell
      at.
      The
     
     
      person
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      end,
      each
      student
      has
      to
      |considers
      road
     
     
      decide
      if
      the
      weather
      is
      too
      bad
      |conditions
      out-
     
     
      for
      him
      or
      her
      to
      travel.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      side
      of
      town.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      unpleasant
     
     
      duty
      of
      deciding
      school
      closure
      at
     
     
      UPEI
      is
      Mr.
      Gary
      Bradshaw,
     
     
      Vice-President
      of
      Finance
      and
     
     
      Facilities.
      While
      most
      of
      us
     
     
      would
      like
      to
      have
      a
      discussion
     
     
      with
      Mr.
      Bradshaw
      concerning
     
     
      what
      he
      thinks
      are
      reasonable
     
     
      travel
      conditions,
      it
      is
      only
      fair
      to
     
     
      put
      his
      job
      in
      context,
      rather
      than
     
     
      take
      his
      name
      in
      vain
      the
      next
     
     
      time
      we
      are
      open
      during
      a
      snow-
     
     
      storm.
     
    

    
     
      In
      my
      hunt
      to
      find
      out
     
     
      What
      UPEI's
      official
      policy
      was
     
     
      on
      school
      closures
      due
      to
      weath-
     
     
      er,
      |
      was
      directed
      to
      the
      desk
      of
     
     
      Diane
      MacLean,
      assistant
      to
      Mr.
     
     
      Bradshaw.
      Ms.
      Bradshaw
     
     
      informed
      me
      that
      UPEI
      does
      not
     
     
      have
      an
      official
      policy
      concern-
     
     
      'ng
      what
      guidelines
      should
     
     
      decide
      whether
      school
      is
      to
     
     
      'emain
      open;
      however,
      I
      was
     
     
      tnlightened
      to
      discover
      what
      Mr.
     
     
      Bradshaw
      does
      in
      order
      to
      make
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      question
     
     
      remains:
      "If
      Mr.
      Bradshaw
      is
      so
     
     
      diligent,
      why
      do
      we
      have
      school
     
     
      in
      -
      40
      degree
      weather
      when
      the
     
     
      Eastern
      and
      Western
      school
     
     
      boards
      are
      closed?"
     
    

    
     
      The
      answer
      is
      not
      a
      great
     
    

    
     
      _one
      |
      am
      afraid.
      It
      appears
      that
      as
     
     
      adults
      we
      are
      supposed
      to
      decide
     
     
      for
      ourselves
      when
      the
      weather
      is
     
     
      too
      poor
      for
      our
      individual
      situa-
     
     
      tions.
      Imagine
      that!
      The
      decision
     
     
      to
      come
      to
      school
      or
      not
      is
      up
      to
     
     
      the
      individual.
      While
      it
      is
      a
      com-
     
     
      plete
      white
      out
      in
      Cornwall
     
     
      should
      the
      school
      be
      closed
      for
     
     
      the
      majority
      of
      people
      who
      live
     
     
      closer
      to
      the
      university?
      UPEI
     
     
      closures
      are
      not
      controlled
      by
      the
     
     
      school
      boards,
      as
      we
      are
      expect-
     
     
      ed
      to
      know
      how
      to
      dress
      more
     
     
      appropriately
      than
      kids
      in
      grade
      6
     
     
      or
      high-school
      students
      who
      care
     
     
      more
      about
      style
      than
      common
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      10.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Graduation
      Ring
      Days
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Feb
      24th
      &
      25th
     
     
      10:00
      -
      4:00
      PM
     
    

    
     
      Place
      your
      order
      with
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      sentative
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      UPEI!
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      2004
      page
      9