Student hurt during bad weather

In spite of hourly checks last week of the campus status information page as well as my eden mail for a possible note from my professor, I realized there was, in fact, class. I decided, in spite of my better judgment, to head out to my 7:40 p.m. “Sociology of Deviant Behavior” class in Murray 221. I had my trusty snow boots with the all-terrain grip soles and I thought nothing could possibly happen in the two blocks between my close apartment and Murray. The University had surely cleared the paths.

“Maybe when I get there, it’ll be canceled. I just can’t imagine the University not canceling class in this weather, as there is more than 6 inches of fresh snow.” These were the thoughts in my head as I crossed George Street and headed toward Murray across Vorhees Quad. The ground was deceptively slick, as the earlier snow had frozen to a sheet of ice topped by seemingly innocent fresh powder. As I rounded the corner after passing Scott Hall I slipped for the first time, a victim of the slight downgrade. Mostly just embarrassed, I thanked the good Samaritans who had stopped to check that I was OK and brushed myself off.

Another 20 feet or so down the central path that leads right up to Murray Hall, I was feeling good. Slippery, yes, but I was walking slowly and carefully. All of a sudden, the uneven pavement got me again. Boom! Busted my butt again… this time less gracefully, and I landed rather hard on my left wrist. One of the same good Samaritans asked, “Where are you going? Do you need help?” I assured him I would be fine to make it to Murray — which I was, as it was only about ten feet away.

Finally reaching the inside of the building, I shook off the cold and realized, holy mother of God, my wrist hurt! Looking down, I noticed my wrist was about the size of a baseball and rather lumpy. Having come this far, I walked upstairs and told my professor that I was afraid I had hurt myself and would like to go get checked out. He, very graciously, let me leave class. I crossed the quad without incident this time, noticing that the University had finally decided to do something about the snow; there was a pickup truck plowing the walk. No salt, just plow. I then walked to the hospital in a great deal of pain.

It is now two hours later and I have just arrived home from Robert Wood Johnson ER, where the nice orthopedic doctors took my x-rays and were kind enough to diagnose me with a fractured wrist — all because the University was too cavalier with their weather preparations. Who needs salt when you can plow? Sand? Pfft! We laugh at your amateur desire for traction. I cannot fathom that I am the only person who had an issue with this Wednesday, given the predilection of the female student body for fashionable yet wholly unsafe Ugg boots.

So thank you, Rutgers. I got a whole slew of new experiences today. I fell trying to go to class. I became an ER patient. I broke my first bone! Just thought I’d share how much your preparation meant to me!

I can only hope that there was some sort of grave mistake that prevented the quad from being salted and safe for passing.buy ugg boot .