Winter at Seton Hill University (SHU) has arrived, and each year, the administration and maintenance crews brace for its impact.
Bill Vokes, SHU’s manager of maintenance and grounds, said that he and his staff deal with the weather the best that they can. Their worst enemy is the wind that blows snow onto their freshly plowed-roads, so their work is never really over.
By Andrea Perkins,
Staff Writer
Winter at Seton Hill University (SHU) has arrived, and each year, the administration and maintenance crews brace for its impact.
Bill Vokes, SHU’s manager of maintenance and grounds, said that he and his staff deal with the weather the best that they can. Their worst enemy is the wind that blows snow onto their freshly plowed-roads, so their work is never really over.
Additional staff is not added to handle the snow, ice and cold, but Vokes does use whatever staff he has available, taking carpenters, electricians, and plumbers to plow and salt the sidewalks.
�If need be, I�ll go to the custodial managers and she�ll let me use her people too,� Vokes said.
The recent severe cold and wind has not helped the staff.
�It hurts everyone – you�ll get blasted – we�ll go back out and salt. In the last 10 days we�ve used 75 tons of salt. My main goal is to keep all roads and walkways ice free,� said Vokes.
In bad weather, Vokes’s staff salts and plows every 30 minutes. They face problems when this happens because the equipment runs up to 48 hours straight, causing plows and tractors to break.
�My whole staff is very dedicated to SHU. I think we do a great job,� Vokes said.
Vokes said that one of the hardest parts about SHU winters would be the wind and students not parking �where they�re supposed to.�
�Parking Lot A should be empty so we can plow. Don’tpark in the circles in DeChantal and Farrell,� said Vokes.
According to Campus Police officer Bob Marnell, the number of parking tickets given does not increase in the winter as compared to any other time of the year.
�It’s about the same all the time,� Marnell said.
If it is not possible to keep the students warm enough or the roads clear enough on the hill, there is always the slight possibility that SHU might close for the day.
According to Mary Ann Gawelek, vice president for academic affairs, who makes the decision, �closing� means that either day classes or canceled or evening classes are canceled.
�In very bad weather, I confer with Dr. Boyle, and classes are canceled and employees are relieved of work,� Gawelek said.
If the weather reports that it is dangerous to drive, SHU closes, and if the state police call and request that vehicles stay off the road, it is an automatic closure.
The last time school closed before February 13, 2007 was during finals week in December, 2003.
�I don’tusually close. There’s 400 students on campus – they can’tgo anywhere,� Gawelek said. There is also a hotline that students can call to see if class is canceled for the day, which is 724-830-1000. The faculty are also alerted, and if a teacher can’tmake it in, it is posted on J-Web.
�Even though the university is open, if you feel it is unsafe to drive from where you are, make your own judgment,� Gawelek said.
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