The Unsung Heroes

Yesterday, Harvard students took a break from studying at Widener Library to spend the afternoon sliding down its steps in pilfered dining hall trays. While undergraduates enjoyed football in the snow in the Yard, snowball fights at the Quad, and a day off from classes on this historic occasion—after all, Harvard closing for snow is a very rare occurrence—several Harvard employees worked around-the-clock to ensure that critical services would remain open.

Winter Storm Juno was a potent reminder of the importance of these employees. It is not often that Harvard’s support staff appear in the news, but their critical contributions underlie all of the University’s activities, particularly in tough times.

The University staff members deserve our thanks, praise, and admiration for their hard work and dedication. Even as the Commonwealth fell under a state of emergency with shuttered airports and roadways, the University staff ensured its grounds remained passable; throughout the night, dozens of Campus Services snowplows kept walkways and driveways clear while individual employees with snow shovels cleared steps and building entrances. UHS Urgent Care stayed open, and dining halls continued to serve students. Some of the dining staff even stayed on campus overnight to ensure that there would be food during the worst of the storm.

We would like to take this opportunity to recognize a critical part of Harvard that deserves our thanks more often. These employees braved the blizzard to provide for our well-being. This defiance in the face of the snow and wind served also to maintain the University’s proud tradition of Postal Service-like refusal to be conquered by Mother Nature.

Moreover, just as we applaud the work of University support staff to ensure that students were kept safe during the storm, we also appreciate administrators’ efforts to minimize the academic impact of the cancellation. Dean of Student Life Stephen Lassonde wrote in an email to College students Tuesday night that students may make penalty-free changes to their study cards until next Wednesday. Students therefore can benefit from a full week of course shopping, while still allowing administrators the flexibility needed to manage section sizes and room assignments.

Harvard’s response Winter Storm Juno–academic, administrative, and physical—is worthy of commendation. From the deans to the snow plow drivers, University employees worked tirelessly to help maintain continuity during shopping week and in House life—two of the integral and unique traditions that define the Harvard experience. A more jarring interruption at the start of the semester would serve only to confuse, stress, and frustrate students, and complicate the jobs of deans and other critical administrators. The effective and flexible response has minimized the disruption to that moment students inevitably trudge back up the steps to Widener Library to return to their studies.

To all the Harvard employees: Thank you.