Colgate remains closed and classes cancelled today. Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology and academic buildings will reopen by 11 a.m. to provide students with study areas. The Trudy Fitness Center also is open today until 6 p.m.
Classes and full schedules will resume Wednesday.
All Colgate classes and activities were canceled as of Monday at 6 p.m. through today due to the threat of high winds and power outages in the region related to Hurricane Sandy. Fortunately for all, there were no reports of outages or property damage on campus overnight, as winds in the immediate vicinity did not reach projected speeds and rainfall amounts were less than originally predicted.
All dining areas are open on regular schedules today. The Student Health Center is open and the Counseling Center will open from 1:30-4:30 p.m. today. Both will have limited staffing, however, so students are advised to call first for appointments.
Any further updates will be distributed through the university’s emergency notification system and www.colgate.edu.
As is the case in all such situations, emergency response plans were in place and essential services for students continued. University staff members focused on helping any students concerned about family members who might be affected by the hurricane. Health center counselors, residential life staff members, and student community leaders in the residence halls were available to address any student issues.
Meteorologists in Binghamton told the Syracuse Post-Standard that they believe the storm was less serious here in part because its center tracked farther south than forecast models predicted. The highest winds also stayed more tightly packed around the storm center than the experts originally predicted.
About 2.2 million customers statewide were without power, most of them in New York City and on Long Island. About 420,000 of the outages were in upstate New York, according to the Associated Press.
“We were very fortunate that the dire forecasts for our area did not come to pass,” said Bill Ferguson, director of campus safety.