Traditional Snow Days Return, Sort Of

Ashby Morin, Grade 12, Staff Writer

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With our recent weather plagued by snowstorms and strong winds, you could not turn a corner in New York City without seeing a lot of snow. Common Sense takes a look at how this blanket of snow affects the students who attend the High School of American Studies.

For many, teachers and students alike, the snow has been an annoyance when commuting to work or school. This hindrance can show itself when driving, taking the bus, or riding the subway.

During the first week of the snow, Ms. Taylor decided to take the MTA bus to school “because [she] thought that the streets needed to be cleared more, especially when the snow was soft… so I woke up earlier and took the city bus to get here.”

For Ms. Taylor, the snow was nothing more than just waking up earlier and taking a bus instead of driving as usual. She adds that “it’s nice when you’re at home, and you don’t have to be out there.”

Jamie Hunt(‘29) says, “It delayed the buses a lot. I had to wait a long time”.

She adds that it hasn’t affected her as a student, “because [she] leaves pretty early, so [she] still gets here on time.” It seems the buses have not been as reliable due to the snow.

Whitman Barcalow(‘28) says that the snow “made [him] late to class on some days”, which had a minimal effect on him as a student.

Tesla Lui(‘28) adds that the snow “gets in the way when going across the street to the college” for certain classes.

Moises Garcia (‘27) says that he is driven to school, “but even then, the snow delays how long it takes for [him] to get into the car.”

Walking through the city appears to be a common issue due to the snow.

He adds that snow on the roads “overall just really makes it sluggish,” but it hasn’t really affected him that much.

He shares a sentiment with Tesla Liu(‘28), saying that it has made him “a little more late traveling to and from the college.”

Luis Mercedes(‘26) says that he “takes the 4 train uptown to school every day, so it hasn't impacted [him] very much.” The students who take the train to school aren’t as affected as those who drive.

Furthermore, he adds that when his mother occasionally drives him to school, it takes him a little longer “because of the extra traffic that builds up with the snow in the streets.”

Across the grades, the snow has caused a little trouble when it comes to commuting to and from school, only having had a very limited effect on their performance as students throughout the day in general.