This past Sunday and Monday, a storm dumped several inches of snow across Connecticut and around the Northeast. Hamden received snow and sleet throughout the day Monday, resulting in poor travel conditions.

Four-wheel drive is usually a necessity if one wishes to drive in the snow, as anything less can increase the possibility of getting into an accident.

When I decided to buy my first car back in June, a small vehicle with two-wheel drive, I knew driving in the snow could be an issue. I also decided not to purchase snow tires, believing that when it did snow, I likely wouldn’t need to travel.

Fast forward to Monday, when Quinnipiac students were notified that the university would open at 10 a.m. due to the storm, even though it was still snowing at the time and the roads were poor. The snow would continue until approximately 5 p.m., and the roads were still slick throughout the night.

Though the university has been closed for the first three Monday’s of the semester, staying open this past Monday was a poor decision. It put the lives of commuting students, like myself, at risk.

On my drives to and from school Monday, my loss-of-traction light came on multiple times, indicating that I had partially lost control of my vehicle.

When making the decision to cancel classes, the university needs to take the entire student population into account, rather than most of it. Many upperclassmen live off campus, in addition to those who commute daily from outside of Hamden. Putting lives at risk is never worth it.