1/31/2019
Hallie Lauer | news editor
At 7:43 a.m. on Jan. 30, the university sent out a tweet announcing that classes would be cancelled, but offices were open for next two days. All colleges and universities in Allegheny County announced a closure for Wednesday Jan. 30 and some will also be closed Thursday Jan. 31.
According to the university’s website, the decision to close must come from the president. Although classes were cancelled, it was still required that essential personnel report to the university.
On Tuesday Jan. 29, a petition started circulating the student body for the school to close Wednesday and Thursday. At the time of publication it had 2,859 signatures, with 30.6 percent of the student-body having signed.
There was no indication that the petition had influenced the administration’s choice to cancel classes.
In Duquesne’s history of 140 years, it seems that closing do not happen frequently.
A professor in the media department, Mike Dillon, said that he could “recall it happening once.” Dillon has been a professor at Duquesne for 21 years.
Adam Wasilko, head of Freshman Development and Disability Services, recalled the university “fully closed for a couple days in a row in February of 2010.”
Schools across the Midwest and Pennsylvania were closed for below average temperatures.
With the windchill, meteorologists predicted temperatures dropping to 21 degrees below zero in Pittsburgh this week as part of the Arctic Blast that has been sweeping across the U.S.
At that temperature, boiling water can be thrown in the air, and before it hits the ground it will be frozen.
In temperatures this cold it is best to remain inside, but if you must go outdoors, try to have as little exposed skin as possible.