Tucked into a hooded red university sweatshirt, wearing yellow and black rain boots and carrying a white and black zebra umbrella over her head, a student runs across McKeldin Mall on a rainy Wednesday morning.

Snow, rain, sleet and hail affect us more than we think. Many of the students interviewed on campus said that the weather factors into their decision to go to class or not.

John Dillon, a sophomore philosophy major, said that the weather is “one of [his] top two factors.” The other factor is how tired he is that day.

Students have to spend a lot of time outside daily since the university’s campus is so large and many of the buildings are far apart from each other. Traveling across the 1500 acres the university resides on is not something students want to do during inclement weather.

“I always give myself at least 20 minutes [to get to class],” said Sadie Rothman, a sophomore who lives on North Campus.

Marie LaMonica, a sophomore who lives on North Hill, said, “It usually takes me about 15 minutes everywhere I go.”

With such far walks, who could blame students for not wanting to walk or “scoot” in bad weather?

“I find some correlation between weather and attendance,” said Associate Professor of Classics Gregory Staley. “Since many students commute, weather that ties up traffic has the greatest effect.”

For commuters, snow and heavy rain are also a safety issue, as driving in those types of weather could be dangerous. Commuter Jessica Quigley said that she has skipped class simply because it was raining or snowing.

Of course, there are students who show up for class no matter what.

“Weather does not affect if I go to class or not. I usually go to all of my classes,” said Justin Zawitoski, a junior communication major. “However, if it is raining I tend to move slower and there is a greater chance I show up late.”

Staley said that “the strongest correlation is between the time of the semester and attendance. Attendance drops as the semester proceeds.”

With winter approaching and only a few weeks left in the semester, don’t be surprised if your class sizes seem a bit smaller.

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