Snowy Sidewalks

March 3, 2015 

By: Ricki Maggiore 

The past few storms in our city of Salem broke quite a few records in snow history. The aftermath of this being that the citizens can’t keep up with clearing all that snow. Sadly, it seems that Salem State University has to suffer for it. All of the students being locked away in their homes and dorms, during all of our days off have created an eagerness to go back to class and escape their bedroom’s four walls and, more importantly, end their cabin fever. I am absolutely one of these students.

However, as I rushed to class, I had the pleasure of slipping on the untouched snow on the sidewalk and almost falling to my doom. Someone had forgotten to shovel. The more I began to look around from campus to campus, the more I saw that quite a few people had forgotten to shovel.

This is a horrifying pattern around Salem, Massachusetts, as sidewalks remain snow covered, and residents have to hike through the mountainous sidewalk or risk their lives on the slippery streets, dodging cars as they try to reach their destination.

Sidewalks like this can be seen on the walk from Central campus to North, down the hill from North to O’Keefe, and the shuttle stop outside of Meier hall, not to mention the bike trail, whose blacktop won’t be seen until spring. All of these are heavy traffic areas for students on the go, and the danger it takes just to get from class to class is almost too much. In fact, if the chances of broken bones could be lessened around our entire city that would be even more appreciated.

I propose we begin lessons on properly removing snow from the sidewalks in front homes, as is proper etiquette, for the benefit of the students of SSU, and the Salem community.  The youth of our university can’t possibly learn anything if they’re concussed, can they?

Contributor's Note: Ricki Maggiore hails from Kingston, New York.