Eagles snowed in

Instead of the usual rushing to 8 a.m. classes, N.C. Central University students woke up to frozen sidewalks and a quiet campus Monday after university officials canceled in-person operations as a winter storm came through central North Carolina, forcing safety protocols to take priority.

The university moved into Condition 2 Suspended Operations on Tuesday until 7:59 a.m. canceling classes on Monday and moving classes online on Tuesday, and limiting non-essential services through Tuesday night.

NCCU’s Office of Communications and Marketing cited low temperatures and the threat of black ice as major concerns for students, faculty and staff traveling on and around campus.

Campus life slowed down due to the storm. The shuttle did not operate its normal routes, the Student Center canceled scheduled activities and Pearson Dining Hall became one of the few open gathering spots for residential students.

Though the forecasts warned of heavy snowfall, students and staff say they felt the storm itself was anticlimactic. Durham received just over an inch of snow and sleet.

Keyona Tharpe, a junior business administration student, said the Eagle Alert still caught her attention because of how seriously officials treated the situation.

“When I first saw the alert, I was really concerned when they recommended us to go home,” she said. “Last year, when it snowed, they didn’t recommend that, and the snow was even worse.”

While the majority of the campus was closed, some staff members still had to report in. Tiauna Taylor, an employee at Pearson Dining Hall, said preparation time was limited once the storm arrived.

“By the time we really got it, it was already here,” Taylor said. “We don’t really have too much time to prepare. We just follow what the head people decide based on the weather.”

Taylor said getting to work during the storm was difficult, especially because she lives far from campus.

“It was kind of hard trying to get a Lyft to work,” she said. “It took me about two and a half hours.”

Even with closures, dining services remained open to support students who stayed on campus.

“Even if it’s bad, we still have to open because we have to make sure y’all have somewhere to eat and get warm,” Taylor said.

Although the storm did not bring heavy snowfall, icy sidewalks, freezing temperatures and travel concerns grew across campus. Officials have opened the university for normal operations on Wednesday and will continue to monitor weather conditions and update students and staff.