<p>So how many of you might get stuck at MD because you have planned to leave on Sat.? DS has his last final today this afternoon, and luckily he will be on the road late this afternoon/early evening. However, 2 of his roommates have finals tomorrow, and both live OOS (NJ and Chicago). I am not sure if either will be able to get out. Yesterday they predicted 6-8 inches, we are now up to 11-15 ending on Sunday. I wonder what UMD will do because dorms close tomorrow afternoon and if we have too much snow some of these kids will be stuck.</p>
<p>Hope all of you are not facing these concerns...Astro what about your DD's, because I know that this storm goes all the way into NC?</p>
<p>On the plus side, Maryland’s campus is so pretty when it snows. Can’t wait to whip out my camera again.</p>
<p>We are finally going to have snow on the ground at Christmas (provided the storm actually happens–I still remember the time when I was 9 or 10 that they predicted 10-12 inches of snow and instead we had a sunny day–and that it doesn’t melt before Christmas).</p>
<p>I have friends who are planning on flying out/in on Saturday and Sunday I hope the snow doesn’t wreck their plans. I’m supposed to go home for the weekend after my brother’s final tomorrow, but that might not happen because he’d have to pack and by then it’d be dark and snowy…</p>
<p>I think that if they are to fly out/in tomorrow that it is going to be a no-go since the bulk will be starting after midnight tonight and through all day tomorrow. Snow plows on the runway will not be able to keep up and de-icing the plane will be an issue, especially if they are coming/going out of Reagan.</p>
<p>I don’t think that it will miss the area, it might be less, but even 6 inches basically shuts down the area…including those that intended to ride the metro into Union station and catch Amtrack to NJ/NY.</p>
<p>The worse will be for those going south, since it is coming up they will be driving into it, whereas, those going north might get ahead of the storm.</p>
<p>As a Mom, I will be on pins and needles until I hear the dogs barking from the hum of DS’s car pulling into the driveway. </p>
<p>It will really stink for the kids that have a Sat final and stay to wake up and find out school is closed and they are stuck there.</p>
<p>Graduation and Saturday finals have been cancelled.</p>
<p>COMMENCEMENT:
The University’s campus-wide commencement ceremony scheduled for
Saturday, December 19, at 7:00 p.m. in the Comcast Center is cancelled.
The commencement ceremony will not be rescheduled.</p>
<p>FINAL EXAMS:
Final exams scheduled for Saturday, December 19, are canceled.
Arrangements for make-up exams will be up to the discretion of the
faculty. Should the faculty decide to reschedule, the Registrar’s Office
will make available the same schedule and locations on SATURDAY, JANUARY
30, 2010. Faculty members are asked to communicate with their students
as soon as possible today to confirm the arrangements for their class’s
final exams and resolve any issues caused by this change. Faculty
members will receive further instruction very soon.</p>
<p>ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Students who were scheduled to leave the residence halls tomorrow are
encouraged to make travel plans to leave the campus today.</p>
<p>For students remaining on campus, residence halls will remain open until
noon on Monday. Fraternities and sororities will follow the same
schedule. The Diner will be open from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 -
7:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.</p>
<p>There will be no Shuttle service on Saturday or Sunday. The bus
scheduled to transport students to New Jersey and New York will leave
today at 6:30 p.m. from the Stamp Student Union.</p>
<p>Thanks for passing that along!</p>
<p>Cancelling the finals has got to have raised a lot of issues for a lot of students. I know for both my D’s, the profs for their finals tomorrow are still trying to figure out what they plan to do. They are both hoping for optional finals (where kids can decide whether to take the grade they currently have in the class, or take the final in January, since both have solid A’s in the classes with the tests…especially since especially D1 was expecting a wicked-hard exam.</p>
<p>Good luck to all you Marylanders digging out. I’ve been watching the Weather Channel dude standing out in the middle of the streets in DC. My 2 Terps finally made it home to NC at 2:00 a.m., after leaving CP at 3:30 p.m.</p>
<p>D1’s prof gave them 3 choices for the final…she chose the one where he would average all the homework and a bunch of other grades to come up with a “final exam” grade. This was a great option for her. In any case where people were relying on the final exam to change a course grade upward, I’m sure they went for one of the other choices…taking it any time yesterday or last night in the prof’s office, or taking a harder, shorter online version.</p>
<p>D2’s options were to log on at 8:00 a.m. this morning (the original time of the exam) and take an online final (also with a shorter time period…along with all kinds of reminders about the honor code…), or take it at 8:00 a.m. on Sat, Jan 30. She’s opting for the January version…</p>
<p>Anway, hope everyone enjoys the snow for us, and enjoys winter break!</p>
<p>DS flew out Friday evening and made it just in time!! His sister was “Clara” in the Nutcracker the next day and would have been devastated if wasn’t able to make it in time. We got really lucky!!</p>
<p>Awww—that’s great that your family got to be together (and congrats to the sister for being the star!!!)</p>
<p>Reports from those still in CP shows that it still pretty much is crappy…Metro trains not running because the trains are stuck to the tracks? D’s both realize that if they hadn’t left on Friday, they may have been stuck in CP for days and days…</p>
<p>I heard Metro is running, but would not be surprised if they have problems as temps drop tonight. It’s supposed to be in the teens overnight.</p>
<p>Son got lucky; he flew out Friday morning. A couple of months ago, he asked if he could change his flight to Saturday. But the fares were quite a bit higher, so I said no. So glad I did! Last year, it took him 3 days to get home because we were having nasty weather here and our airport was closed. He was stuck in Phoenix. Fortunately, we have relatives there who took him in. This year, it was smooth sailing, but we booked the layover in Phoenix again, just in case!</p>
<p>His girlfriend had her Saturday final cancelled. Lucky her, too!</p>
<p>astrophysicsmom-the train tracks do freeze, you just don’t hear about it because cities further north (New York, Chicago, etc.) equip their rail system with a heated rail that keeps this from happening. The cost of this in DC must not outweigh the benefit. (One or two weeks of below freezing vs. three to five months in some places)</p>