Let It Sneaux: Inclement Weather Causes Campus Shutdown

At around 7:30 Tuesday morning, Southern University (SU) announced that its Baton Rouge campus would remain closed until Wednesday due to inclement weather conditions.
The university sent an emergency message via email and text message stating the Harding Boulevard overpass would be closed due to ice on the road. An alternate route on Swan Street was announced as the only entrance and exit to the campus until further notice.
The Baton Rouge campus was initially intended to be closed for one day, but worsening weather conditions drove the university to confirm that the campus would in fact be closed on Wednesday and Thursday as well.
In addition to SU, LSU, BRCC, East Baton Rouge Parish schools, and West Baton Rouge Parish schools, to name a few, were announced to be closed as well.
WAFB reported, “A record low was set as the temperature dropped to a chilling 15 degrees at Metro Airport.”
A few of the main roads were also closed in Baton Rouge due to the icy road conditions.
According to The Advocate, those roads included “. . . Interstate 10 from Kenner to Lafayette. Interstate 55 from LaPlace to the Mississippi state line, and Interstate 12 from LA 12 to Baton Rouge will remain closed until further notice.”
On Wednesday morning, Governor John Bel Edwards’ office tweeted that a state of emergency was declared for the state of Louisiana. He also reported that more than 1.5 million pounds of salt was distributed throughout the state and 1,200 Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development employees were working around the clock.
Despite the necessary precautions being taken by the state, there were many accidents reported in Louisiana.
According to nola.com, “At least four people died in Louisiana, including a man who was knocked off an elevated portion of Interstate 10 in New Orleans when a pickup truck spun out of control on ice, and an 8-month-old baby who was in a car that slid into a canal in suburban New Orleans. The baby’s mother was reported in critical condition.”
Despite the frigid air, a few students celebrated the snowfall and campus closure with an old-fashioned snowball fight on Tuesday night.
The snowball fight took place in front of Shade Hall and Totty Hall, and carried over into the intramural complex field. Southern University Police Department (SUPD) remained close by to ensure student safety and partake in a bit of the fun themselves.
When asked about how he felt about the recent weather conditions, senior Music Education major, Keith Lewis, responded saying, “I have mixed feelings, the weather allowed much needed rest time but it increased how anxious I am to start this semester. It’s like a winter break after winter break.”
By Wednesday morning, the sun began to shine again, causing the ice and snow to melt from the ground. Although the ice was disappearing, road conditions were still deemed to be unsafe and the advisory to stay off of roadways remained. Not only did the weather hit Louisiana hard, it also affected Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia as well.
What began as a 3-day weekend in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day became an extended 6-day vacation for SU students.