Student Life provides shovels for snowed-in cars

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Similar to this pictured snow storm, SUNY Geneseo received over a foot of snow, leaving many student cars buried under snow.

For the first time since the notorious gas leak of 2024, as covered by The Lamron, SUNY Geneseo cancelled classes due to the State of Emergency announced by Governor Hochul. With a little over a foot of snow piling on the steps of dorms and sidewalks across campus, many students only ventured outside to visit the dining halls, or to go sledding. 

With the heavy flurries of the storm over, students have re-emerged on campus in the past two weeks. What struggled to emerge from the storm? Hundreds of cars were buried in not only the foot of snow, but also by mountains of snow caused by plows clearing the parking lots. SUNY Geneseo’s facilities did the best they could to keep parking lots clear, but were understandably unable to clear individual parking spaces. 

These were the conditions those with errands or outings following the snowstorm faced: digging out their car from over a foot of snow, and the bitter cold that still remains post-storm. These were the conditions that I was not aware of when I mentioned to Chip Matthews, Director of Student Life, and Madison Jansen, Coordinator for Student Life Activities and the Late Night Programs, that I needed to shovel my car out (without a shovel) because I needed to make sure my car could turn on. Without hesitation, Chip and Madison offered to uncover my car, and asked me to locate the shovels belonging to Student Life. 

Roughly 15 minutes and several layers later, the three of us were on our way to the northernmost part of Lot R. Armed with two shovels and copious amounts of generosity (and glee at the crisp air), Chip and Madison proceeded to shovel away the snow surrounding my car, amazed at the height of the snow caused unintentionally by the plows. 

One such plow happened to be in the parking lot at the time, and upon seeing Madison and Chip working on my car, the driver came to our aid with the plow’s bucket. Then, after my car was unburied, Madison, Chip, and the driver helped another student who was attempting to shovel themself out using a tray. 

The experience of seeing student cars snowed-in, and the process of unburying one themselves, inspired Chip Matthews to allow the shovels belonging to Student Life to be used by the people the department cares most about: students. That same day, Chip sent out an email to inform students that shovels were available to rent out of MacVittie College Union Room 321. Thus, Student Life provided a resource many students would not otherwise have had access to, given that to buy a shovel, one first has to shovel their car out. 

However, the heroes of this story are not only Chip Matthews, Madison Jansen, and Student Life, but the kind driver of the plow that helped both myself and another student. Facilities does everything they can when it comes to the parking lots, but there is only so much they can do to help students without endangering car bumpers with the bucket of a plow. 

Unsure of the likelihood of another snow storm this winter, it is safe to say that many students have found themselves without a much-needed shovel, and have learned not only that they may need to purchase a shovel of their own, but that Student Life is always there to support them in any way they can.