The icy driving conditions this Wednesday highlighted once again the disconnect between Duke University and people living outside the campus in Durham or surrounding towns. Wednesday morning, Durham County, Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro County officials closed school all day because of icy road conditions, especially in northern Durham. Preschools and other childcare centers closed as well. Meanwhile, I never received a single text or email from Duke warning me of icy driving conditions. There were no school-wide accommodations made for employees commuting from northern Durham, nor for employees suddenly saddled with childcare all day. To accommodate their employees, UNC-Chapel Hill opened at 10 a.m. and NCSU opened at 11 a.m., but the only concern at Duke, as usual, seems to have been whether undergraduates could get to class.
Sarah M. Denes
Department of Music
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