USU strives to clear walks
Cleaning the snow off the campus sidewalks has become a routine procedure around Utah State University these past few months, yet some students are more concerned about the effects of the ice.
Angie Seal, a freshmen elementary education major, said, “I think they do a good job at shoveling the snow but every now and then your foot will catch an icy spot.”
Ellen Null, landscape manager, said, “Police call us every time there is at least half an inch of snow on the ground.”
Null’s department is in charge of the sidewalks and stairs around campus.
“The stairs and sidewalks in front of the buildings’ entrances are left to that building’s own custodians and the same goes for housing,” Null said.
All the icy patches around campus cannot be completely removed but Null’s staff uses ice melt and sand to help in the prevention of slips and falls.
Null said, “When we get snow during the nights, we are able to get the workers in early in the morning to get a head start before everyone is up. But when the snow falls during the day, it takes the workers a lot longer because the students pack the snow down and it is hard for our workers to maneuver the tractors around the students.”
Craig Simper,university counsel, said, “We try to do the legal maximum, and the safety of the students is paramount.”
It is possible for students to help.
Null said, “Students need to wear the proper foot attire for walking in the snow and students also need to watch out for the tractors because it is hard for the workers to maneuver around so many students.”