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The Prospector

The student news site of Manitou Springs High School

The Prospector

The student news site of Manitou Springs High School

The Prospector

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Students and staff struggle in snow

Students and staff struggle in snow

Teachers and students at Manitou Springs High School had a difficult time getting to school on Tuesday, Jan. 29, resulting in a very hard time for walkers and dozens of cars spinning out or stalling in the snow.

There was only about two inches of snow, but the large amount of ice underneath made for some challenging driving and walking in the morning.

Andrew Ortiz is a junior who has walked to school throughout his entire high school career.

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Many cars slid or stopped completely coming up and down the high school hill.

His walk typically takes about 10-15 minutes, but is by no means an easy trek when streets and sidewalks are covered in snow and ice.

“When it snows it’s always really bad because I don’t know where, exactly, the ice is going to be under the snow,” said Ortiz.

The inclimate weather on Tuesday also served to reinforce Ortiz’s feelings about how the school considers students who walk to school when making snow-related decisions.

“I really don’t think that the school considers them as much as they should. And they should.”

Ortiz explained that him and his fellow walkers have had to regularly endure many sub-freezing walks to school this year, and indicating that that should be taken into account when determining whether or not to cancel or delay school.

Drivers also had plenty of trouble navigating the snowy, icy roads on their way to school.

Buses were delayed by the conditions, causing attendance to be taken about 35 minutes late.
Buses were delayed by the conditions, causing attendance to be taken about 35 minutes late.

Senior Cody Hickox nearly hit a car that slid out in front of him on Filmore and followed that up with another close call, fishtailing at the bottom of the high school hill.

Junior Will Bishop lost control of his brakes getting off of I-24 and slid slowly into a guardrail.

Teachers had their fair share of struggles in the snow as well.

Keith Barger, who moved here from Georgia in July, showed up to school about 30 minutes after the bell. His truck, which he explained was not ready for the wintry Colorado conditions, got stuck behind an accident on Austin Bluffs and then failed to make the climb up to the high school.

“I couldn’t make it up the high school hill, so I had to park at Subway and walk,” said Barger. “I took the path on the east side, which was very difficult in loafers.”

Sean McCune actually made it up the hill, which was apparently a significant surprise.

“I was shocked I even made it up here,” said McCune. “I must have let my guard down, though, because in the parking lot I lost control around a turn and almost slid into the bleachers. The snowbank was the only thing that stopped me.”

By Keegan Bockhorst

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Students and staff struggle in snow