For students living off campus, a walk to school on icy sidewalks can be a treacherous endeavor. On days when a fresh dusting of snow obscures the icy spots, a students’ only way to anticipate ice is to watch the people walking a few yards ahead. One might notice another student walking toward her who experiences a loss of balance, demonstrated by cheeks puffing with air, flailing hands, and the uttering of a few obscenities. Sometimes walking to school can seem like watching a slapstick comedy routine, but it’s not so funny anymore when you’re the one whose wincing and rubbing your tailbone after a hard fall.
Diane Palm, Director of Student Health Services at Winona State says one or two students come in with injuries caused by slipping on the ice every day. She says students commonly fall on their arm, head, or backside. Many of those students have been sent out to get x-rays, but Palm has not heard of any fractures or serious injuries yet this winter. The students who come in have fallen on sidewalks in off campus residential areas.
“People don’t always do the best job shoveling or salting their sidewalks, but once you get to campus, it’s great,” Palm said.
Clean sidewalks are thanks in part to building maintenance supervisor, Tony Bronk, and the eight people who make up the snow removal team.
“They are the heart of the crew,” Bronk said. “These are the people who are out there at three in the morning.”
Beyond the snow removal team, everyone in maintenance has been assigned specific staircases and building entrances that they are responsible for clearing down to a bare pavement.
When Bronk started working at Winona State 28 years ago, the goal was to have a level base of no more than two to three inches of snow on the sidewalk. That’s not the case anymore. Bare sidewalks are now the goal.
So, the next itme you’re walking through campus on a snowy day and your feet aren’t frozen and your socks aren’t soked, take a moment moment to appriciate the clean sidewalks and stairways.

Questions or comments
contact Lydia at LCOglesb3075@winona.edu