Students’ Safety Should Be Top Priority When Wind Chills Are Minus-9 Degrees

Per the Hutchinson Community College 2025-2026 housing handbook, “As a resident you are NOT allowed to park your car in any of the following areas: The main HutchCC campus before 1:00 p.m. during the week,” which may sound convenient given the amount of commuter students HutchCC has.

That is, until there’s a negative windchill at 8 a.m. and the administration refuses to cancel class, leaving students who live in the dorms walking upwards of 10 minutes to class in minus-9 degrees, according to AccuWeather. 

While it is understandable to not want to cancel class this early into a semester, there is a difference between kids just not wanting to go to class, and not wanting to go because of dangerous weather conditions. When many school districts in the surrounding area, such as Hutchinson, Haven and Buhler, as well as McPherson College and Emporia State, it is absurd and even dangerous not to cancel class. 

As students of HutchCC, we spend a lot of money and time toward our education. In 2025, online learning has been prevalent for at least five years. Canceling in-person classes and having students do work online would have been a much better and safer option. One day of online learning would not be detrimental to the educational semester, but making students walk in sub-zero wind chills and drive on icy roads could have been. 

It is dangerous to have students walk to class in this temperature. It is dangerous to have students drive in those conditions. And it is blatant negligence to not take students, who pay tuition, into consideration. 

For The Collegian Editorial Board

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