Illinois experiences arctic blast; IMSA still has normal school day

source: Weather.com

Public high schools across Illinois have cancelled school on Monday due to the brutally cold weather. IMSA, always the exception, is still open today. Many students were confused as to why IMSA would be open today while their friends at their home schools were enjoying a cold day or several cold days.

In an email correspondence with the Acronym, President Cathy Veal writes that “…the main reason is our students do not have to travel to school and you move into one academic building.”

The morning after the Acronym contacted Mrs. Veal, school principal Branson Lawrence sent an all-staff, all-students and all-faculty email. In it, he clarifies why IMSA is open today.

Mr. Lawrence is responsible to “[make] the call in situations like this, in consultation with [Cathy] and others.” They discussed the situation on Friday and deemed that it would be safe to continue school on Monday. IMSA has a fairly normal school day. The only difference was that classes began at 9AM compared to its normal 7:30AM.

Student Al-Jalil Guault (’14) recalls that math teacher Mr. Mark Kammrath provided an explanation as well. According to Mr. Kammrath, school would be continued based on the logic that students were already trekking to the main building to be fed and watered. It would then make sense for them to attend classes as well.

IMSA is still open today explains Principal Branson Lawrence.

Staff must fend for themselves. The principal explains that it is not his concern to “worry about staff safety, although [he does].”

Regardless, various athletic competitions have been cancelled for Monday and Tuesday. These include boys’ and girls’ basketball, a bowling math and boys’ swim/dive meet.

On Tuesday, January 28, Illinois will experience more subzero weather though several degrees warmer than Monday’s. IMSA will be open tomorrow as well and continue to follow the shortened schedule and later start. Bundle up, IMSA.