When the cold hits, an array of vehicular problems can occur like cars getting stuck in the snow, engines not starting and dangerous driving conditions. There is also a concern of people’s safety while walking around on campus with icy sidewalks. Many who have slipped and fallen on campus risk injury. 

Luckily, students on campus have Hamline Public Safety as a resource. 

“We can help with car starts, bring over traction pads and in general try to help if your vehicle won’t start or you need help if it is stuck,” Director of Public Safety, Illiana Cantu Delgado told the Oracle via email.

“We can also call tow service to assist if needed. The cost of that would be incurred by the student,” Cantu Delgado said. 

The conditions of the roads around St. Paul don’t help in getting around.

“I know that St. Paul is notoriously not very good at plowing,” junior Taylor Lander said. “But I feel like this year it’s been so uneven; it’s not just icy and snowy but there’s big places where it has been driven through constantly… Because I think it’s well trafficked, and all of that, snow got really packed onto the roads.”

This winter has been harsh to bear for some.

“I think in general, this winter season has been challenging just because of the severity of the weather this year,”  Cantu Delgado said via email. “There has been more steady requests for car jump starts. Again, with the weather being so extreme, it is understandable.”

When getting around on campus students have encountered some issues.

“They have definitely gotten better with plowing than previous years,” senior Deangela Huddleston said. “But it is very slippery around campus and there’s always a lot of ice and they never put anything down … it was especially hard when I had a [surgical] boot on my foot to go around because it just wasn’t accessible for people that need the extra support on the ground.”

In order to adapt to the cold and weather, students have resorted to different methods to make life in the cold a bit more bearable.

“For the cold I like to layer up,” Lander said. “I try not to have any raw skin or bare skin out for the wind and the cold. So I’ll pack myself like a mitten and a scarf and a hat when I can or if I remember and as for the slipperiness, I always walk flat footed, so I’m not walking on my toes or my heels. I try to be very mindful of where I’m stepping.”

As far as what could be improved on campus for winter safety, some believe there could be more salt and sand put down.

“I feel like there is more that can be done,” Huddleston said. “At least something that gives us traction when there’s so much ice and stuff on the ground.”

To contact public safety for help, call 651-523-2100 or email security@hamline.edu. 

To contact facilities about unsafe patches of sidewalk, contact facilities@hamline.edu.