Belmont Commuters Still Struggling to Get Back to Campus
- Georgina America
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Many Belmont classes are back in full swing despite the power outages and dangerous road conditions that continue to plague Nashville.
In an email, University Communications said, “Campus conditions have improved,” and “some classes may be held in person, some remotely and some may offer recorded content.”
While power is restored on campus and road conditions may be safe for students to walk or drive, those issues aren’t resolved for many students who live off campus, prompting them to think twice before driving back to Belmont for classes.
“I don’t see myself driving over to Belmont... due to the ice and the tree debris. I’m hoping by Monday everything is pretty much cleared out so commuting is safe again. Driving on ice kind of freaks me out, so I’ve been avoiding having to do that,” said sophomore Shelby King.
Over 65,000 Nashville Electric Service customers are still without power; many of Belmont’s commuter students are still affected by the outage and other collateral issues following Winter Storm Fern.
Though over 1,000 NES line workers have been deployed to resolve storm damages and power outages, some commuter students don’t feel certain that enough has been done to ensure safe travels.
Senior Kendall Kemm, a Philadelphia native, has encountered her fair share of snow, though she is weary of driving over icy roads in Nashville.
“Putting myself in shoes of roommates that I have who are from Nashville and are also very nervous to get on the roads, I don’t necessarily know if the precautions being taken are enough for commuter students to feel comfortable,” said Kemm.
Kemm and her roommates are staying with her mom, who lives in downtown Nashville and didn’t lose power.
“If my mom didn’t live here, I would have had no way to figure that out, because our cars are stuck in our garage, and we can’t get the garage open,” said Kemm.
Others did not have friends or relatives to go to; Kemm’s next-door neighbors—four Lipscomb students—split the cost of a hotel on Broadway because that was the only room and hotel with availability they found.
Commuter students are considering more than the potential dangers of icy roadways; many have jobs which they are temporarily unable to work, be it by their own decision to stay off the road or the continuous effect of the power outage.
Student jobs play a factor in funding commute to classes; senior Henry Dierig notices the financial impact Fern is making.
“I lost hours at work because my work lost power... I’m an hourly worker; I don’t have a salary. When I get my next paycheck, I think it’ll affect me a little more,” said Dierig.
Whether it be slick roads, continued power outages or financial uncertainty, the effects of Winter Storm Fern on commuter students continue.
“Hearing stories, watching people just kind of panic... there’s so much uncertainty here in Nashville right now, and being a student especially is adding so much pressure onto everyone,” said Kemm.
This article was written by Georgina America