Jessica Wade
EDITOR IN CHIEF
At 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) sophomore Taylor Partusch began an online petition stating “UNO should cancel class for student safety.” Roughly two hours later, more than 1,700 people had responded.
Partusch had the idea for the online petition after seeing surrounding schools’ petitions gain traction.
“It was mostly a ‘why not’ thought process,” Partusch said. “I do think the conditions are too dangerous to be having class tomorrow.”
The conditions she’s referring to are due to an extreme freeze descending on the Midwest. Temperatures in Omaha Tuesday are expected to be frigid with wind chills as cold as -35.
As the cold set in, Partusch wasn’t the only concerned Midwesterner to start a petition. Students flocked to Change.org to call for cancelations at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Indiana University, University of Michigan, University of Louisville, Ohio University and many others.
Partusch went a step further, sending her petition to UNO and UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey Gold.
“I emailed Chancellor Gold and told him about the petition,” Partusch said. “He replied and said he would send it over to the committee that deals with weather cancellations.”
Whether or not classes are cancelled has yet to be announced, but Partusch said her plan if they are is to stay inside and hang out with her dog where it’s warm.
“I just want everyone to be safe,” Partusch said. “Even if classes are on, students should make the safest call for their situation. And hopefully in the future those who do make the call will not risk it.”
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