Despite our own Punxsutawney Phil predicting an early Spring this year, snow has continued to decorate our cherry trees and increase our hopes for a snow day. For some, the days of turning pajamas inside out and backwards or a spoon under your pillow continue in the hope of at least a delay.
Even though Old Man Winter seemingly dictates these outcomes, the true master is Tom King–Director of Campus Safety at both Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. A very enthusiastic administrator, Tom King is a polarizing man. He wakes up in the middle of the night in an attempt to fairly assess the weather situation for all students, faculty, and staff; sometimes this means crazy hours like 4am. To the disappointment of many, he rarely declares a snow day.
Even when only a small amount of snow is predicted, people make sacrifices to Athena that Tom King (or sometimes Old Man Winter) will come through and give us a much-deserved break. If Bryn Mawr and Haverford were larger institutions, Tom King could be a trending topic on Facebook he is talked about so much. Some students only open their emails on occasions where Tom King will make his decree–he is that influential to both campuses.
Despite not declaring too many snow days though, he, along with Facilities and the other Public Safety officers, keep both campuses safe and functioning. They coordinate to make sure the Blue Bus can run smoothly for a normal class schedule, pathways are salted to avoid accidents and unexpected sledding, and heat/electricity remain in tact.
So in the end, we thank you, Tom King, ruler of school closures and safety.