I was born and raised in the South. I am used to short winters and summers with heat that can be compared to Hades. With this said, I know I am not the only one who was a little disoriented by the snow. I woke up that morning, unsure of how to dress or what would be considered warm enough for below-freezing temperatures. To reiterate, I said “disoriented.” I did not say “oblivious to the fact that snow exists and that every blue moon it will grace the South with its presence.”

This mindset apparently is not shared with the administration of The University of Alabama, because instead of canceling classes the night before as a precaution, they waited until the last second, causing so much traffic on the icy roads that some students found it better to just abandon their cars in parking lots and walk home in below-freezing temperatures.

This winter has been the coldest one to hit the South in years, so it should not have been taken lightly, which is exactly what the administration did.

Our world revolves around technology now. Most of us check our weather on our phones, and I would say the predictions are more than 50 percent right. My phone predicted snow, along with the numerous weather stations, since the Saturday before the big storm. So why did it take until the snow came down at rapid rates for classes to be cancelled? I understand that the University cannot just cancel class on a whim, but I think that below freezing temperatures is enough to at least delay class for two hours. I am not talking about canceling class when it is 40 degrees, but when we start to get into the 20s and the teens the idea should at least been taken into consideration.

This incident is a testament to how UA administration is reactive instead of proactive. I am not coming from the place of a student who wants to miss her 8 a.m. classes but, rather, as a student who wants to feel that her school, which she pays thousands of dollars to attend, cares if she turns into a Popsicle on her way to class.

Tuscaloosa and the University were not the worst areas hit by the snow by far. I will admit that it could have been way worse. Still, would we have been prepared if it did? I am merely a student, so I do not know the inner workings of the University when it comes to these situations, but something clearly needs to be re-evaluated.

Amber Patterson is a junior majoring in public relations. Her column runs weekly on Mondays.