Sac State campus closure continues into Friday
Emily Rabasto - The State Hornet
Sacramento State Residence Life Coordinator Edgardo Palomo wears a respirator mask as he treks through the smoke-filled campus walkways on Nov. 14. President Robert Nelsen announced for the third day in a row that campus will be closed Thursday due to the poor air quality from the smoke of the Camp Fire in Butte County.
November 14, 2018
Sacramento State will be closed again Friday due to poor air quality in the region caused by the Camp Fire.
Campus has been closed all week thus far — Monday for Veterans Day — because of the fire’s effect on the air quality in Sacramento.
UC Davis and other area community colleges and K-12 schools have canceled classes as well.
In an email announcement, President Robert Nelsen said all classes, activities, events and work for Friday will be canceled, adding that concerns for student health outweighed concerns over further postponing campus activities.
The extended closure announcement on Thursday came with answers to questions about class activities, due dates and deadlines in the form of an FAQ.
All campus buildings, save for residence halls, will remain closed; employees deemed “essential” may be called in to work on specific tasks.
Additionally, Nelsen’s email said the deadline to drop a fall semester class has been extended to Nov. 21, and students are not liable to turn in assignments originally scheduled to be due during the campus closure period.
The Camp Fire started 90 miles away from Sac State in Butte County and has burned through roughly 210 square miles, destroyed more than 9,000 buildings and killed 56 people — making it the deadliest wildfire in California history.
Air quality in the Sacramento area at 2 p.m. Thursday was 201 — a level that the Environmental Protection Agency says is “very unhealthy,” according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.
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Air quality is expected to continue to be dangerous through Friday, according to Sacramento AIRNow.
“Wednesday through Friday, periods of northerly winds will continue to transport smoke from the Camp Fire into the Sacramento region,” according to the AIRNow forecast. “In addition, winds will be light, limiting smoke dispersion. Furthermore, an upper-level ridge of high pressure will reduce atmospheric mixing, trapping pollutants near the ground. Therefore, particle levels will be Very Unhealthy on Wednesday and Unhealthy on Thursday and Friday.”
The campus is tentatively scheduled to open again on Monday.
anonymous • Nov 15, 2018 at 9:28 pm
Why are you mad for anyway? It’s not like they want the classes to be cancel and plus I’m paying for my education unlike most students who gets financial aid help. I should be mad but you know what I cant change it and I also don’t want to wear masks to school. Wearing mask mean other people who are not part of the school can wear it too and may do something dangerous to students and staff members at school. There are many good and bad benefits of this so calm down and just let the event flow. Life is not meant to be perfect but unfair.
anonymous • Nov 14, 2018 at 10:31 pm
This is very enraging! Three days of school cancelled on top of already getting Monday off as a holiday? Like, I get that the school is looking after our health, but can’t we just wear face masks?! Or have coming to school as “optional” and those opting out can get the material covered in class online instead? I know schools in the district that are still requiring kids under the age of 13 to go to school. I expect the same for college-aged students! I’m missing out on my education and may or may not be failing a certain GE class. Loosing valuable class time is hurting my grade, not helping it. I hope class resumes on Friday.