January 6, 2014: Polar FabFourtex 

I recently had some fun with a Beatles' theme for an instructional update video for work:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=556nvgwz9ZA

As a friend today pointed out, I should have gone with a whole White Album theme:  we, like everyone else in much of the U.S., are dealing with the "polar vortex."  Blizzard conditions and below zero temperatures.

Colleges and universities have had to deal with decisions regarding closing.  Most of us have no classes yet scheduled, so that is a blessing.  However, that may also be a challenge, as the tendency then can be to ask only essential employees to come in, and allow employees to use vacation days if they don't wish to risk the travel.

At SMC, we have conversed at length regarding both today and now tomorrow in coming to decisions to close.  When we closed Monday, I redid an ornate schedule of faculty welcome back activities to take place over two days instead of three. Now that we have closed tomorrow, we have basically cancelled everything, as the college will have one day now to be ready for the first day of classes.  I'm glad I did the instructional video; without it, I would have had no opportunity to share any important news.

So, I get it when a university or college decides it needs to stay open.  Generally, the more traditional universities and colleges wait longer to make a decision to close, if at all.  For instance, today, only University of Michigan seems to have stayed open, resulting in some backlash from its employees.  The great thing is that if you look at this linked page to MLive, you will see a sidebar story that says the post office may have delayed delivery in Ann Arbor.  So much for the motto "neither snow nor rain nor dark of night."  Maybe that should be the motto for U of M: "neither snow nor rain nor Buckeyes," perhaps.

Here's to hoping we aren't having to make a decision about Wednesday.  Otherwise, I'm going to be doing more bad Beatles' parodies:  Snow-Covered Fields Forever.

Don't let me take you down.